The Italian Securities Commission (Consob) published its latest Statistical Bulletin on Italian listed companies in 2024, reporting generally solid profitability for issuers listed on EXM and a confirmed slowdown in profitability among small-cap companies listed on the EGM market. The bulletin frames 2024 as an adjustment year amid normalising interest rates and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. It notes that EXM-listed companies often improved profitability versus the prior year, supported by greater operating efficiency and resilient margins, particularly in the banking sector and among non-financial companies. Financial leverage declined across most sectors, with insurance as the exception. Dividend policies are described as more balanced overall, with payouts generally stable or moderate where balance-sheet strengthening was prioritised, and more generous where capital strength or the aim of maintaining shareholder remuneration supported it.