Italy — Factors to watch on September 18

The following factors could affect Italian markets on Friday. Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot vouch for their accuracy. New items are marked with (*). Politics Italy is preparing for a possible naval mission to safeguard its merchant shipping as security concerns mount in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Thursday. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made the first official visit by an Italian leader to Norway in nearly 15 years on Thursday, where she is seeking to deepen cooperation in areas including energy, critical minerals and defence. Economy Italian Apple store employees stage strikes across the country on the day the U.S. tech giant launches its new model, the iPhone 18 Pro. Debt Bank of Italy releases July data on foreign holdings of Italian government bonds (0830 GMT). Diary Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti attends Ecofin meeting in Dublin and participates through video link in an economic conference in the Italian town of Portofino, delivering comments on "growth in a turbulent world." (1020-1045 GMT). Terna CEO Pasqualino Monti joins the Portofino conference with a masterclass on energy production and consumption