UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 26.04.2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: April 26, 2026, 12:00 AM EDTUpdated: April 26, 2026, 6:41 AM EDT BP
Severn Trent Stock Defies FTSE Slide as £15 Billion Water Plan Faces Results Test
Severn Trent Plc shares rose 0.13% to 3,153 pence on Friday, outperforming a 0.75% drop in the FTSE 100. The company will report full-year results on May 20, after flagging record capital
3i Group Shares Drop Again as Action Growth Worries Put May Results in Focus
3i Group shares fell 1.83% to 2,627.50 pence in London on Friday, capping a near 10% weekly drop as investors questioned its
IAG Fares Are Set To Rise As British Airways Owner Faces A Fuel Shock
International Consolidated Airlines Group will raise ticket prices due to higher jet fuel costs following the Iran-war fuel shock, though it reports
Intertek Rejects EQT’s £8.3 Billion Takeover Bid as May Deadline Looms
Intertek rejected EQT’s revised £54-a-share cash offer, saying it still undervalued the company. The board turned down the £8.3 billion proposal on
Standard Chartered’s £500 Million Solar Deal Puts UK Clean-Energy Finance Back in Play
Standard Chartered has arranged up to £500 million in senior secured financing for a UK solar and battery portfolio linked to Elgin
British Airways Pilot Salary 2026: Pay Deal Vote Puts Strike Risk And CEO Pay In Focus
British Airways pilots will vote next week on a 79-page pay proposal, raising the risk of strikes ahead of summer travel. The proposal offers a pay rise starting at 2.5% and rising to 4%, but unions say it would cut pension contributions and flying pay. BA reported a 2025 operating profit of £2.23 billion, while CEO Sean Doyle’s 2026 compensation is estimated at up to £5.6 million.
Haleon PLC Stock Faces Q1 Demand Test After Friday Rebound
Haleon shares closed up 1.02% at 355.20p in London Friday, ahead of its Q1 2026 trading statement due April 29. The stock
St. James’s Place Buyback Puts Shares in Focus Before Crucial Q1 Update
St. James’s Place Plc bought 234,313 shares for cancellation on April 23 at an average 1,280.33 pence each, leaving 519,164,225 shares in
Compass Group Stock Beats FTSE Before May Results as AI Risk Stays in View
Compass Group shares rose 0.96% on Friday as the FTSE 100 fell 0.75%. Investors await half-year results due May 11, the first
Hiscox Ltd Shares Slip After Dividend Cutoff, Putting $300 Million Buyback In Focus
Hiscox shares closed down 0.19% at 1,560p in London after the insurer’s 35.9-cent final dividend passed its ex-dividend and record dates. The
Tesco Stock: £750m Buyback Moves Fast as Profit Risk Keeps Investors on Edge
Tesco bought 415,797 shares for cancellation on April 23 as part of its new £750 million buyback, bringing total repurchases to 822,350 shares worth about £4 million. Shares closed Friday at 490.80p, up 0.9%. Tesco reported 2025/26 sales of £66.6 billion and forecast current-year operating profit between £3.0 billion and £3.3 billion, citing uncertainty from the Iran war’s impact on UK consumers.
NatWest Group Plc Buyback Sharpens Q1 Earnings Test for UK Bank Investors
NatWest bought back more shares for cancellation last week under its ongoing repurchase programme, a regulatory filing showed Friday. The bank will report first-quarter results on May 1, with consensus forecasts putting net interest income at £3.41 billion and operating profit before tax at £1.94 billion. Barclays, Lloyds, and Standard Chartered report earlier in the week.
Legal & General Shares Drop After Dividend Shift — Now A £1.2bn Buyback Is Back In Focus
Legal & General shares fell 0.61% to 252.60p after trading ex-dividend for a 15.67p final payout, with payment due June 4. Investors now await a May 21 vote on reducing the share premium and capital redemption reserves by £1.08 billion, a move that would increase distributable reserves but not return cash.
Imperial Brands PLC Stock Faces Buyback Test After Morgan Stanley Downgrade
Imperial Brands bought back 179,206 shares for £1.45 billion on Friday, following a Morgan Stanley downgrade that cut its price target to 3,050p. The company’s shares closed at 2,769p, down 0.11% after warning of market-share losses and modest profit growth. Analysts cited concerns over cash flow, next-generation product losses, and investor reaction to weaker market share.
Bank of England Warning Puts Global Stocks on Notice as AI and Private Credit Risks Build
Bank of England Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden warned that global stock markets are overvalued and likely to fall, citing underpriced risks from private credit, AI-linked valuations, and the Middle East conflict. London’s FTSE 100 closed down 0.75% at 10,379.08, its lowest since April 7, while U.S. and Japanese benchmarks set new records.
Rio Tinto’s A$1.5 Million Cyclone Pledge Puts Pilbara Risk Back in View
Party City products will return to over 700 Staples stores and Staples.com under a new shop-in-shop deal, following Party City’s bankruptcy and closure of nearly 700 stores. The rollout, timed for graduation season, will expand through 2026 and features balloons, décor, and party goods. Staples is offering launch promotions, including discounts on balloons and custom print products. Party City’s brand now operates without its own retail chain.
Palantir Stock Just Got a $200 Wake-Up Call as PLTR’s AI Bet Faces Its Next Test
Palantir closed Friday at $143.09, up 1.1%, with a market value of $367.9 billion, but remains down about 20% for the year. The company reports first-quarter results May 4, after securing a $300 million USDA agreement and as the Pentagon formalizes Maven. Analyst John McPeake maintained a Buy rating and $200 target, citing Palantir’s enterprise AI revenue growth. Shares are still 31% below their November 2025 high.
National Grid Shares Rise Again as £70 Billion Investment Plan Faces May Results Test
National Grid shares closed up 0.61% at 1,295p in London on Friday, ahead of full-year results due May 14. The company has flagged a roughly 1p-per-share hit to underlying earnings from U.S. customer refund charges and storm costs. SSE fell 1.0%, while Severn Trent edged up 0.13%. Analysts remain split on National Grid’s growth outlook.
GSK’s Jemperli Court Fight Just Got Tougher Before Q1 Earnings
A Delaware court dismissed Tesaro’s claim that AnaptysBio anticipatorily breached their Jemperli cancer-drug agreement, preserving Anaptys’ royalty rates. The ruling comes days before GSK’s first-quarter results, with Jemperli sales under scrutiny. Jemperli generated $1.128 billion in 2025 sales, according to Anaptys. The FDA expanded Jemperli’s use in endometrial cancer in 2024.
Lloyds Buyback Before Q1 Results: 12.2 Million Shares Put Capital Returns in Focus
Lloyds Banking Group bought back 12.17 million shares on April 24, paying an average of 97.7 pence each, and will cancel them. The buyback comes just ahead of its April 29 first-quarter results, as investors watch for updates on mortgage margins and motor-finance redress costs. Lloyds shares closed down 1.12% on Friday at 97.86 pence.
SSE Stock Gets New Catalyst as UK Power-Price Shake-Up Tests Utility Earnings
Deutsche Bank raised its price target on SSE PLC to 2,900 pence and kept a “buy” rating after the UK government proposed voluntary fixed-price power contracts and increased the Electricity Generator Levy to 55%. SSE shares closed at 2,630.50 pence Friday. The company expects 2025/26 adjusted EPS of 147-152 pence and 14.5 TWh renewable output. Preliminary results are due May 28.
BP PLC Faces Investor Revolt Before Meg O’Neill’s First Big Results Test
BP shareholders rejected two board-backed proposals at the annual meeting, with 52.88% voting against new articles of association and 52.53% against revoking earlier climate-related votes. Chair Albert Manifold was elected with 81.77% support, while CEO Meg O’Neill received 96.76%. The votes come as BP seeks to reset strategy and faces pressure over climate risk and governance.
Fresnillo PLC Shares Face Fresh Pressure After Silver Output Drop, Even as 2026 Guidance Holds
Fresnillo shares fell 1.63% to 3,370 pence on Friday after reporting an 8.5% drop in first-quarter attributable silver production to 11.1 million ounces. Gold output rose 0.7% from the previous quarter but was down 12.8% year-on-year. The company kept its 2026 production guidance unchanged. Berenberg maintained its hold rating and 34-pound price target.
UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100 Rally Breaks as Oil Shock and BoE Warning Hit London
The FTSE 100 fell 0.8% to 10,379.08 on Friday, ending a four-week winning streak as rising oil prices and Middle East tensions hit sentiment. Banks and drugmakers led losses, with AstraZeneca down 3.7% and Barclays off 0.9%. Retail sales rose 0.7% in March, but gains were driven by fuel buying. Mondi shares plunged 11.1% after warning of higher costs and announcing 450 job cuts in Europe.
Australia Stock Market This Week: ASX 200’s Worst Week Since March as Oil Shock, Fortescue Selloff Bite
The S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.8% for the week, closing Friday at 8,786.50, its sharpest decline since mid-March. Cochlear plunged 40.7% after slashing its profit outlook, while CSL hit a multi-year low following the end of a U.S. military vaccine mandate. Miners also fell, offsetting gains in energy stocks driven by Middle East tensions.
Glencore’s South Africa smelter rescue now hinges on a fast Nersa ruling
Glencore-Merafe is urging fast approval of Eskom’s proposed 62c/kWh tariff relief for South African ferrochrome smelters, citing a May 11 labour deadline. Nersa has opened public consultations on changes to Eskom’s pricing agreements with Glencore-Merafe and Samancor. Several smelters remain idle after high power costs. The venture warns further delays could trigger job losses.
British American Tobacco Shares Rise After Morgan Stanley Makes BAT Its Top European Tobacco Pick
British American Tobacco shares rose 1.97% to 4,302p late Friday after Morgan Stanley double-upgraded the stock to overweight and named it its top European tobacco pick, raising the price target to 4,900p. The upgrade comes as UK lawmakers passed a bill tightening tobacco and vaping rules and raising the legal buying age, while BAT continues buybacks and reports growth in newer nicotine products.
Reckitt Benckiser Durex Headache Deepens as China Price Scare Follows Weak Quarter
Reckitt warned of lower first-half margins after missing first-quarter sales growth forecasts, citing high oil prices, Russia sanctions, and weak cold-and-flu demand. A viral scare over condom price hikes in China, a key growth market, followed news that supplier Karex may raise prices up to 30% if Iran-war disruptions persist. Reckitt’s shares fell as much as 7% after Wednesday’s update.
Shell Plc Keeps Buying Back Stock. The May 7 Earnings Test Comes Next
Shell Plc bought about 1.45 million shares for cancellation on Friday as its $3.5 billion buyback program nears its May 1 close. Purchases spanned London and European venues at average prices near £33.18 and €38.28. The company faces a potential $10–15 billion working-capital outflow in the first quarter and will report results on May 7.
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc Wins Fresh Europe SMR Deal as Czech Nuclear Bet Moves Forward
Rolls-Royce SMR signed an early works contract with ČEZ Group to begin preparatory work for the Czech Republic’s first small modular reactor at Temelín, with the first unit now expected in the late 2030s. The deal follows a similar UK contract signed this month. Rolls-Royce shares closed down 2.65% at 1,129.40 pence on Friday. The Czech state is moving to take full control of ČEZ.
Unilever Stock Watch: Nigeria Profit Jump Puts Spotlight on April 30 Q1 Test
Unilever Nigeria reported a 26% rise in quarterly revenue to 59.17 billion naira, led by strong foods sales. Unilever PLC’s shares rose 1.15% in London ahead of the group’s April 30 first-quarter statement. The Nigerian unit remains majority-owned by Unilever Overseas Holdings BV. The parent company recently agreed to merge its foods business with McCormick, securing $15.7 billion in cash and 65% equity in the new entity.
London Stock Exchange Group Stock Rises After Record Quarter. The AI Question Is Next
London Stock Exchange Group shares closed up 1.83% at 9,992 pence Friday after first-quarter income rose 9.8% on an organic constant-currency basis. LSEG now expects 2026 revenue growth at the upper end of its 6.5%–7.5% range. The FTSE 100 fell 0.75%. The company cited strong trading volumes and increased demand for its data products.
RELX PLC Says AI Is Driving Growth. The Market Is Still Asking One Big Question
RELX shares rose 0.45% to 2,703p Friday after the company reaffirmed its 2026 outlook and launched a new £350 million buyback. The update came as Freshfields and Anthropic announced a multi-year legal AI deal, intensifying competition in legal data. RELX reported strong starts across all divisions, with double-digit legal growth from its AI-enabled Lexis+ platform.
BAE Systems Stock Hit as £10 Billion Norway Frigate Deal Reopens Royal Navy Worries
BAE Systems shares fell 2.9% to 2,020.5 pence in London on Friday after reports that build slots for three UK Type 26 frigates had been given to Norway. The Times said the first UK vessel is expected in 2028. Defence minister Luke Pollard told parliament the Norway deal covers eight British and five Norwegian ships. BAE’s order backlog stood at £83.6 billion at the end of 2025.
HSBC Holdings Calls HK$1.5 Billion, €2 Billion Notes Before Earnings Test
HSBC will redeem HK$1.5 billion of 1.55% notes and €2 billion of fixed-to-floating-rate notes due 2027 in June, cancelling their London listings, according to a filing. The move comes less than two weeks before HSBC’s first-quarter earnings on May 5. The bank did not give a separate reason for the early redemption. Investors are watching capital levels and future buyback plans.