Italy's national railway company may be listed in bid to increase investment

The newly appointed chief of Ferrovie dello Stato, Italy's national railway company, has announced that the organization will explore options for attracting external investment, including the possibility of listing the company on the stock exchange, a move that would align with the Italian government's broader privatization efforts. Last September, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government unveiled a plan to manage Italy's public debt, including a privatization initiative to generate approximately 20 billion euros between 2024 and 2026. In an interview with Reuters on the weekend, the railway company's CEO Stefano Donnarumma indicated listing on the Borsa Italiana stock exchange was one option under consideration as the business seeks to attract new capital and fund future investments. Donnarumma said he expects to have more clarity about the group's direction toward the end of the year, but he added that the process of incorporating private investors would likely take two years.