The FTSE MIB fell 0.3% to around 43,180 on Monday, trimming gains from the previous session to slightly retreat from an eighteen-year high, mirroring losses across most of its European peers. Investors digested remarks from ECB President Christine Lagarde, who noted that Europe’s labor market has exceeded expectations, remaining resilient despite high inflation and several sharp interest rate hikes in recent years. Meanwhile, US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled the possibility of near-term interest rate cuts last week, boosting risk sentiment. In Italy, investors face a busy week, with key data releases including consumer and business confidence, the final Q2 GDP reading, and preliminary August consumer inflation figures. Among top Italian stocks, laggards included ERG (-1.3%), Telecom Italia (-0.9%), Tenaris (-0.7%), partially offset by strong gains in the financial sector, including Mediobanca (+1.4%) and Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (+1.9%).