MPS surges 14% on BlackRock rumours (2)

(ANSA) - Milan, October 20 - Shares in troubled Tuscan lender Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) surged 13.99% on the Milan bourse Thursday amid rumours American global investment management corporation BlackRock may take a stake in Italy's third-biggest and the world's oldest bank.
    The rise, powered by trading of 7.9% of the bank's capital, took the share price to 0.238 euros, its highest since September 12.
    Yesterday some 10% of the share value was traded and on Tuesday 6% - amounting to almost a quarter of the capitalisation in three days.
    The Siena-based bank's market capitalisation rose to 700 million euros, against 490 million on October 6 when its shares touched lows of 0.17 euros a share. Also feeding the rise, analysts said, were expectations stemming from the upcoming business plan, to be unveiled on Monday.