Atlantia SpA

Italy's Atlantia <ATL.MI> said on Tuesday it had encountered "concrete difficulties" in talks with state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) over CDP's planned investment in its Autostrade per l'Italia and was studying alternative options.

Italy's Transport Minister Paola De Micheli said on Tuesday she was confident that ongoing talks with Autostrade per l'Italia, the motorway unit of Benettton-led Atlantia <ATL.MI>, would lead to parties signing a revised concession in the coming days.

Italy's government said on Friday it had scheduled a new meeting with infrastructure group Atlantia's tollroad unit for Aug. 5 to sign a comprehensive accord to settle a two-year long dispute over its motorway concession.

U.S. asset manager BlackRock <BLK.N> and Qatar's sovereign fund QIA are interested in investing in Atlantia's motorway unit <ATL.MI> along with Italian state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), two sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Italian state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) could buy a controlling stake in Atlantia's <ATL.MI> motorway unit Autostrade in an initial public offering to allay investors concerns over the price of the asset, a source close to the matter said on Sunday.

Activist hedge fund TCI Fund Management said it has complained to the European Commission over "illegitimate expropriation" by the Italian government of Atlantia's motorways unit Autostrade per l'Italia.

Activist hedge fund TCI Fund Management, which is challenging the Italian government over the forced sale of Atlantia's Autostrade per l'Italia (ASPI) unit, said on Friday the value of Autostrade could be between 11 and 12 billion euros (10.9 billion pounds).

TCI Fund Management, an investor in Italian infrastructure group Atlantia <ATL.MI>, accused Rome of an "illegitimate expropriation" of Atlantia's motorways unit Autostrade per l'Italia.

Italy's Atlantia has picked Bank of America Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan and Mediobanca to advise on the sale of a stake in its motorway unit, two sources close to the matter said, as suitors line up to invest in its Autostrade per l'Italia unit.

The Italian government plans to list Autostrade per l'Italia by early next year after forcing through an agreement with the Benetton family to take Atlantia's <ATL.MI> motorway business under state control, sources close to the matter told Reuters.

Italy's transport ministry gave infrastructure group Atlantia <ATL.MI> until July 23 to come up with a new business plan for its motorway unit following an agreement reached on Wednesday to transfer the unit to state control.

Italy will bring thousands of kilometres of roads back under state control after the powerful Benetton family agreed to give up its stake in Atlantia's motorway unit <ATL.MI> to avoid the threatened cancellation of its lucrative operating concession.

Italy will bring thousands of kilometres of roads back under state control after the powerful Benetton family agreed to give up its stake in Atlantia's motorway unit <ATL.MI> to avoid the threatened cancellation of its lucrative operating concession.

Benetton-led Atlantia <ATL.MI> on Wednesday agreed to give up its stake in its motorway unit to avoid the threatened cancellation of its lucrative operating concession.

Benetton-led Atlantia on Wednesday agreed to give up its stake in its motorway unit to avoid the threatened cancellation of its lucrative operating concession.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Wednesday said the government still needed to finalize an agreement with infrastructure group Atlantia <ATL.MI> to avoid the revocation of its Autostrade per l'Italia unit motorway licence.

Benetton-led Atlantia <ATL.MI> will lose its 88% stake in Autostrade per l'Italia unit in one year, with the first step of this multi-staged process happening by September, Italy's industry minister said on Wednesday.

Atlantia's motorway unit Autostrade per l'Italia has made the Italian government a new offer to settle a long-running dispute and prevent its concession being withdrawn, sources familiar with the matter said late on Tuesday.

A leading shareholder of Atlantia <ATL.MI> said on Tuesday it hoped any decision by the Italian government in the dispute over the group's motorway concession would take into account Italy's international credibility and employment.