Milan bourse sinks 0.59% with banks

(ANSA) - Milan, October 28 - The Milan bourse on Friday closed 0.59% down with the bellwether FTSE MIP index sinking to 17,324 points as bank stocks struggled.
    Energy giant ENI lost 1.75% after reporting a net third-quarter loss of 560 million euros and an adjusted loss of 480 million.
    Genoa-based lender Carige sank 8.13% after the European Central Bank on Thursday asked the bank to come up with a plan to cut its non-performing loans (NPLs), which according to financial analysts could pave the way for a capital increase.
    Troubled Tuscan bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) was down 3.85% after gaining 1% and then shedding 4% earlier in the day, following statements by Mediobanca CEO Alberto Nagel that he wanted to do "everything possible" to avoid a "dissolution".
    The bank is currently working to execute a rescue project approved in July providing for a five-billion-euro capital boosting plan, handled by Mediobanca together with JP Morgan, and the sale of 28 billion euros in bad loans.
    Overall, banking shares were the main laggards with Generali slipping 2.31%, UBI and Intesa both 1.64%, and UniCredit 1.26%.