Market Chatter: MPS Board Reportedly OKs Proposed Bids for Banca Generali, Banco BPM

11:59 AM EDT, 08/20/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The board of Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS.MI), or MPS, approved a proposal to pursue all-share bids for two Italian banks in an effort to thwart a takeover by Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI), Bloomberg News wrote Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The proposal by MPS Chief Executive Officer Luigi Lovaglio reportedly involves separate bids for Banco BPM (BAMI.MI) and Banca Generali (BGN.MI), a move that would create a group with a combined market value of 70 billion euros. MPS, Banco BPM, and Banca Generali did not immediately respond to requests for comment from MT Newswires. (Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)