The following factors could affect Italian markets on Thursday.
Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot vouch for their accuracy. New items are marked with (*).
For a complete list of diary events in Italy please click on .
POLITICS
Italian parliament due to start voting for new head of state (1400 GMT).
ECONOMY
ISTAT releases December wage inflation data (0900 GMT) and January business and consumer confidence data (1000 GMT).
TREASURY
Treasury sells BTP bonds. Subscriptions close at 1000 GMT.
COMPANIES * MONTE DEI PASCHI
The European Central Bank will likely give its green light to the bank's capital plan on Feb. 4, daily Il Sole 24 Ore said, adding that financial markets bet on a bigger cash call than the 2.5 billion euros currently planned.
* FINMECCANICA
China's Insigma has offered more than 1.8 billion euros for Finmeccanica's rail assets, daily Il Sole 24 Ore said.
* BANCA CARIGE
U.S. private equity fund Apollo Management is interested in buying a stake in the bank owned by its foundation shareholder but it wants a due diligence on the lender to be carried out, and this makes it highly unlikely that its offer - which is not binding - will succeed, Il Messaggero said on Thursday. That opens the way to entrepreneur Andrea Bonomi buying the foundation's stake, the paper said, adding Bonomi was offering 0.053 euros per share.
FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES,
The company expects to turn profits in all regions this year, but faces pressure to rev up its North American profit engine to fund an ambitious overhaul of its Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands.
PARMALAT
The dairy company said it had signed a deal to buy a string of companies operating mainly in Mexico in the production and distribution of cheese for $105 million. The price may be subject to adjustments if net financial debt is higher than $48 million.
* ATLANTIA, SIAS
Anti-corruption czar Raffaele Cantone has written a letter to the transport minister criticising a governemnt decree that allws concessions to operate Italian highways to be extended without a public tender, daily Il Sole 24 Ore reported.
ASTALDI
Holds ordinary and extraordinary shareholders' meeting (0800 GMT).
CNH INDUSTRIAL
Holds board meeting on Q4 and FY results; followed by conference call (1600 GMT).
NET INSURANCE
Holds ordinary shareholders' meeting (0900 GMT).
SALVATORE FERRAGAMO
Holds board meeting on preliminary FY results.
Extraordinary shareholders' meetings: AMPLIFON (1100 GMT), RETELIT (1400 GMT).
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