Autogrill, goodbye to Piazza Affari from Monday 24 July: Swiss Dufry plans

Even the last company in the Benetton galaxy listed in Italy leaves the stock exchange. On Monday, July 24, as Dufry’s takeover bid closes, Autogrill will relinquish Piazza Affari, where it landed 26 years ago after the Ponzano Veneto family gained control four years ago through privatizations initiated by IRI. Now the company active in catering to travelers is wholly controlled by the Zurich-listed group, of which Benetton is the first shareholder, just over 22% through Edizione, the family headed by Alessandro Benetton, which decided in May 2022 to change the name to Plan 43 (Atlantia) because it commemorates the victims of the Morandi Bridge.

Not until eight months ago, in December 2022 – a few months after Autostrade sold all of l’Italia to Cdp – Atlantia also left Borsa Italiana after the Edizione-Blackstone takeover bid (which controls the airports of Rome), Became Mundys in March 2023. It is a company active in transportation infrastructure and sustainable mobility, controlled by Benetton at 57%, but not publicly listed. While the historic Benetton was founded in 1955 by brothers Luciano, Giuliana, Gilberto and Carlo and then became a chain of 3,700 stores, it was delisted in January 2012 after 26 years from the listings. For Benetton, the Italian stock exchange farewell comes as industrial or controlling shareholders. The historic Venetian dynasty remains in Piazza Affari with financial holdings in Mediobanca and Generali. And as a listed industrial stake, they also have 9.9% of Cellnex, but we’re in Madrid.