Barclays’ positive assessment boosts Poste

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Poste Italiane up on the Milan Stock Exchange (FTSE MIB ), buoyed by a positive assessment from Barclays. The shares are also driving Telecom Italia , ahead of the planned merger between the two groups.

Specifically, the British bank has upgraded its rating on Poste Italiane to “Overweight” from “Equal Weight”, raising the target price to 35.2 euros from the previous 21.6 euros. Barclays analysts are positive about the prospects of the deal with Telecom Italia, which is expected to lead to an increase in profits in the short to medium term and support growth in the long term as well. According to the investment bank, the integration would improve Poste’s ability to generate cash, which could then be invested to support TIM’s development. Barclays also believes that the new group would be able to compete with traditional banks, thanks to an integrated offering of financial, insurance, payment and technology services. Finally, analysts estimate an average dividend yield of around 6% between 2026 and 2029.

It should be noted that last March, Poste Italiane announced the launch of a €10.8 billion takeover bid for Telecom Italia, with the aim of creating a major integrated group in the financial, digital and telecommunications sectors. Specifically, for each TIM ordinary share tendered in response to the offer, the company has proposed a consideration comprising 0.0218 newly issued ordinary shares in Poste Italiane and €0.167 in cash. In recent days, Poste Italiane’s shareholders’ meeting approved the capital increase to fund the transaction. Following approval from the relevant authorities, the takeover bid is expected to commence in the coming months.