Finance

Factbox-Who owns what in Italy's banking battles

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on January 24, 2025

2 min read

· Last updated: March 1, 2026

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Graphical representation of key players and ownership in Italy's banking sector - Global Banking & Finance Review
An infographic depicting the complex ownership structure of Italian banks, highlighting key players like Monte dei Paschi, Mediobanca, and major shareholders. This image complements the article discussing Italy's banking consolidation and significant financial battles.
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ROME (Reuters) - Bailed-out lender Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) launched on Friday a 13.3 billion euro ($13.9 billion) all-share buyout offer for Mediobanca, in the latest surprise twist of a

Italy's Banking Battles: Ownership and Key Players

ROME (Reuters) - Italian bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS)'s all-share buyout offer for Mediobanca on Friday is the latest surprise twist of an increasingly complex banking saga.

Long-awaited Italian banking consolidation has taken off in recent months, triggered by the state selling down its stake in MPS in November, paving the way for a third big banking group to compete with Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit. 

The latter, not wanting to be left out of a wave of deal making, late last year made its own unsolicited play for Banco BPM, Italy's third-largest lender.

The situation is made more complex by key shareholders in the banks involved owning stakes in other lenders as well as Italian insurer Generali.

Those shareholders include Delfin, the holding company of late billionaire Leonardo Del Vecchio, and entrepreneur Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone.

The following table sets out the key shareholders in the financial groups involved. Data as of Jan. 23.

Market Cap (mln   Value

euros) of

stake

46,262  GENERALI mln

euros

MEDIOBANCA 13.1      

     

     

 6,06

DELFIN 9.93      

     

     

 4,59

CALTAGIRONE 6.92      

     

     

 3,20

BENETTON 4.8      

     

     

 2,22

     

                   MEDIOBANCA  

        12,731 

DELFIN 19.81      

     

     

 2,52

CALTAGIRONE 7.76      

     

     

    9

88 

BLACKROCK 4.23      

     

     

    5

39 

BANCA MEDIOLANUM 3.49      

     

     

    4

44 

     

                   MPS  

             8,778

 

MEF 11.73      

     

     

 1,03

DELFIN 9.78      

     

     

    8

58 

CALTAGIRONE 5.03      

     

     

    4

42 

BANCO BPM 5      

     

     

    4

39 

ANIMA 3.99      

     

     

    3

50 

     

                   ANIMA  

             2,126

 

BANCO BPM 22.4      

     

     

    4

76 

POSTE 11.95      

     

     

    2

54 

FSI 9.77      

     

     

    2

08 

CALTAGIRONE 3.46      

     

     

     

  74 

     

                   BANCO BPM  

          12,508 

CREDIT AGRICOLE 15.1      

     

     

 1,88

BLACKROCK 5.04      

     

     

    6

30 

JPMORGAN 3.06      

     

     

    3

83 

CALTAGIRONE 2      

     

     

    2

50 

(Compiled by Stefano Bernabei, Editing by Gavin Jones, Tommy Reggiori Wilkes, Philippa Fletcher)

Key Takeaways

  • Monte dei Paschi offers buyout for Mediobanca.
  • Italian banking consolidation gains momentum.
  • Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit face new competition.
  • Key shareholders own stakes in multiple banks.
  • Delfin and Caltagirone are significant stakeholders.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main topic?
The article discusses the consolidation of Italy's banking sector, focusing on Monte dei Paschi's buyout offer for Mediobanca.
Who are the key players?
Key players include Monte dei Paschi, Mediobanca, Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, Delfin, and Caltagirone.
What triggered the consolidation?
The consolidation was triggered by the state selling its stake in Monte dei Paschi, allowing for increased merger activities.

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