The following factors could affect Italian markets on Wednesday.

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 .

CORONAVIRUS

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 162 on Tuesday, against 99 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases rose sharply to 813 from 451 on Monday.

ECONOMY

The ESM rescue fund “is not the instrument that Italy needs,” deputy Economy Minister Laura Castelli told la Repubblica in an interview.

Deputy Economy Minister Antonio Misiani ruled out “any hypothesis” of the introduction of a wealth tax, speaking in an interview with Corriere della Sera.

DEBT

Treasury ends offer of new five-year BTP Italia bond reserved to small investors.

Italy sold a further 4.77 billion euros ($5.21 billion) of its new BTP Italia bond to small savers on the second day of a retail offering, drawing higher interest than the last issue in October, bourse data showed on Tuesday.

COMPANIES

UBI BANCA, INTESA SANPAOLO

The lender has told Italy’s market regulator Consob that a proposed takeover offer by bigger rival Intesa Sanpaolo should no longer be considered as valid, the country’s fifth-largest bank said on Tuesday.

(*) INTESA SANPAOLO

The bank said on Tuesday it had introduced guidelines curbing lending to the coal sector, joining the ranks of other banks looking to improve their green credentials.

ENEL

Italy’s state-backed broadband company Open Fiber plans to boost its capital to fund and speed up the expansion of its fast fiber network, one of its shareholders said on Tuesday. (*) Open Fiber has started talks with a pool of banks over new credit facilities worth 550-650 million euros, la Repubblica reported.

(*) FIAT CHRYSLER

The Italian-American car maker should freeze any dividend distribution for the entire length of a 6.3 billion euro three-year state-backed loan facility the group has asked, the head of the national CGIL union told La Stampa in an interview.

Italy’s Treasury will not stop Fiat Chrysler’s planned 5.5 billion euro payout – part of a merger deal with Peugeot – after the carmaker has asked for the loan, Il Fatto Quotidiano reported.

Along with guaranteeing employment levels in Italy, stopping any delocalisation of production and confirming 5 billion euros in investments in the country, Fiat will have to freeze its extraordinary dividend payout until at least the end of 2021 in order to be granted the loan, MF-Milano Finanza reported.

(*) WEBUILD(former SALINI)

Italy’s biggest builder does not need any state-backed loans at the moment to cope with the coronavirus crisis, Chief Executive Pietro Salini told Il Sole 24 Ore in an interview.

(*) ATLANTIA

The infrastructure group could ask for up to 1.8 billion euros in state-backed loans for all of its units, which need an immediate injection of liquidity, several dailies reported.

AUTOGRILL

Board meeting followed by the release of data on preliminary sales to April 30. (1430 GMT) (*) The group, which has already said it will request 1.2 billion euros in state-backed loans, needs up to 2 billion euros to finance its investments and support its costs, Corriere della Sera reported, citing sources. The report added that the company has also asked state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti to access a 1.3 billion euros credit line obtained in 2017 but never used.

MONTE DEI PASCHI DI SIENA

The lender said on Tuesday it had appointed Guido Bastianini as CEO. (*) “People working with the government” on the bank’s dossier are starting to think of possibly postponing the privatisation process of the bank, if not turning it into a state-owned lender all together, MF-Milano Finanza reported

LEONARDO (*) Chief Executive Alessandro Profumo said in a letter to employees that he will give up his 2019 bonus, worth some 660,000 euros, to hand it to charitable initiatives for the COVID-19 emergency, Il Messaggero reported.

Annual general meeting (0830 GMT on 2nd call).

Fitch Ratings has revised the outlook on Leonardo’s long-term issuer default rating (IDR) to negative from stable. At the same time Fitch has affirmed the company’s long-term IDR and senior unsecured rating at ‘BBB-‘.

JUVENTUS FC, AS ROMA, SS LAZIO

The Italian government will decide on May 28 if and when the Serie A season can resume, Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora said on Tuesday as he also announced that teams could start full group training immediately.

The head of the Italian footballers’ union (AIC) said that four weeks of full training is needed before Serie A can re-start without a serious risk of injury to the players.

(*) AS ROMA

U.S. billionaire Dan Friedkin, who is looking to buy the Italian Serie A soccer club, and the club’s president James Pallotta had a very brief call on Tuesday during which they committed to exchanging new information which could be useful for a potential sale of club, MF-Milano Finanza reported, citing a source.

EXOR

Annual general meeting (0700 GMT).

BANCA POPOLARE DI SONDRIO

Fitch Ratings has maintained Banca Popolare di Sondrio’s (Sondrio) ‘BB+’ Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) and ‘bb+’ Viability Rating (VR) on Rating Watch Negative (RWN).

BANCO DESIO

Fitch Ratings has downgraded Banco di Desio e della Brianza’s (Desio) Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘BB+’ from ‘BBB-‘. The Outlook is Stable.

CERVED

Annual and extraordinary shareholders’ meetings (0900 GMT).

ASSICURAZIONI GENERALI

Board meeting on Q1 results (press release on May 21).

DIARY

Justice Minister Alfonso Bonafede faces a no-confidence vote in Senate.

Deadline for motorway operators to present updated economic and financial plans.

European Parliament President of the Committee for Economic and Monetary Problems (ECON) Irene Tinagli speaks at the Italian banking association ABI executive committee meeting (0800 GMT).

Rome, Regional Affairs Minister Francesco Boccia speaks before Chamber of Deputies Parliamentary Committee for the implementation of fiscal federalism (0615 GMT).

Rome, Agriculture Minister Teresa Bellanova speaks before the Chamber of Deputies Parliamentary Monitoring Committee on the implementation of the Schengen Agreement with regards to management of migration (1200 GMT).

Sacco hospital’s Director of Infectious diseases Massimo Galli and Spinello Antinori attend webinar organised by Innoliving company on efficacy of “Rapid test – COVID-19” as a prevention tool in phase 2 (1400 GMT).

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