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 (*).

For a complete list of diary events in Italy please click on IT/DIA.

POLITICS

A fourth round of talks between the United States and Iran, which had been due to take place in Rome on Saturday, has been postponed and a new date will be set "depending on the U.S. approach", a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday.

ECONOMY

April PMI manufacturing HCOB data (0745 GMT).

ISTAT releases March unemployment rate flash data (0800 GMT); March non-EU foreign trade data (0900 GMT).

Transport Ministry releases April car sales data (1600 GMT).

April state sector borrowing requirement data.

COMPANIES

(*) STELLANTIS STLAM.MI

The automaker said on Thursday it will halt production at its plant in Windsor, Canada, for a week starting from May 5, to complete the build out of the 2025 model year vehicles.

Citi said on Friday it had cut its target price to 9 euros from 11 euros, and changed its rating to Neutral/High Risk.

MEDIOBANCA MDBI.MI, MONTE DEI PASCHI BMPS.MI, GENERALI GASI.MI, BANCA GENERALI BGN.MI

A bid by the Tuscan bank's acquisition target Mediobanca for Banca Generali BGN.MI is a plus for the takeover project, the head of a leading Monte dei Paschi investor said on Wednesday.

Mediobanca CEO Alberto Nagel is trying to change the role of the bank, possibly because he was pushed to do so, but this is a good thing, the head of Mediobanca's leading investor Delfin Francesco Milleri told reporters in Paris on Wednesday. Milleri said Delfin did not have enough information yet to decide whether to back the Banca Generali bid at the June 16 vote but any decision would be made with view to supporting "industrial projects that create value".

Given its double role as an investor also in Generali, Milleri said it wanted a deal that would be equally beneficial to all parties involved. As an investor in Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Delfin does not the Banca Generali deal as in contrast with MPS' takeover bid for Mediobanca, Milleri said.

(*) Mediobanca's bid for Banca Generali may need the approval of a Generali shareholders meeting, Il Sole 24 Ore daily reported on Thursday, adding that lawyers were examining the issue.

STMICROELECTRONICS STMMI.MI

The French-Italian chipmaker has rebuffed a fresh Italian government attempt to appoint its candidate to the company's supervisory board, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

LEONARDO LDOF.MI

The group's US unit Leonardo DRS Inc DRS.OQ reported quarterly adjusted earnings of 20 cents​​ per share for the quarter ended March 31, higher than the same quarter last year, when the company reported EPS of 14 cents.

TENARIS TENR.MI

Italian steel pipe maker Tenaris TENR.MI said on Wednesday that its first-quarter net sales dropped 15% to $2.92 billion.

DIARY

Rome, Industry Ministry convenes meeting on steelworks AST in Terni with Industry Minister Adolfo Urso, representatives from the company, Umbria region, Terni municipality, trade unions (0900 GMT).

((Milan newsroom, e-mail: reutersitaly@thomsonreuters.com))

For Italian market data and news, click on codes in brackets:

20 biggest gainers (in percentage).............PG.MI

20 biggest losers (in percentage)..............PL.MI

FTSE IT allshare index .FTITLMS

FTSE Mib index........ .FTMIB

FTSE Allstars index... .FTSTAR

FTSE Mid Cap index.... .FTITMC

Block trades.......... .BLK.MI

Stories on Italy...... IT-LEN

For pan-European market data and news, click on codes in brackets:

European Equities speed guide...................EUR/EQUITY

FTSEurofirst 300 index...............................FTEU3

DJ STOXX index.......................................STOXX

Top 10 STOXX sectors............................PGL.STOXXS

Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors.......................PGL.STOXXES

Top 10 Eurofirst 300 sectors....................PGL.FTEU3S

Top 25 European pct gainers........................PG.PEUR

Top 25 European pct losers.........................PL.PEUR

Main stock markets:

Dow Jones................DJI Wall Street report ......N

Nikkei 225..............N225 Tokyo report.............T

FTSE 100................FTSE London report............L

Xetra DAX..............GDAXI Frankfurt market stories.F

CAC-40..................FCHI Paris market stories....PA

World Indices.....................................0#.INDEX

Reuters survey of world bourse outlook.........EQUITYPOLL1

Western European IPO diary..........................WEUIPO

European Asset Allocation........................EUR/ASSET

Reuters News at a Glance: Equities...............TOP/EQE

Main currency report:...............................FRX/