WH Smith (LON:SMWH) high-street sale faces investor focus after TG Jones court delay
TG Jones, which bought WH Smith’s high street stores, was still waiting on a High Court
South32 Ltd (ASX:S32) share price bounce leaves June selloff intact before quarterly update
South32 Ltd entered Tuesday’s pre-open after a 1.79% rise on Monday, but the bounce did little to repair June’s damage. The miner closed at A$3.98; since June 22 it is down 4.1%,
Lloyds (LON:LLOY) buyback questioned as mortgages drop, stock eyes 109p
Lloyds Banking Group plc shares saw a slight gain in late-morning trade in London on Monday. The move came as new data showed UK mortgage approvals dropped about 15% in May, raising questions for Lloyds, given its heavy reliance on home loans. Lloyds traded up on delayed UK quotes, with two other local bank stocks down.
easyJet (LON:EZJ) stock trails Castlelake offer on deal terms snag
easyJet plc shares remain priced with a takeover discount, after the airline gave Castlelake access to only limited commercial information. The delayed quote showed the stock at 580.2p to sell, 580.6p to buy, off 0.51% for the day. Shares opened at 587p and closed previously at 583p. The discount figure is what investors are watching. Castlelake put forward a fourth offer at 650p a share in cash. easyJet turned it down, calling it too low, but said more access to data could bring a “more attractive proposal”.
IAG shares dip on Heathrow cost dispute, offsetting oil price drop and dividend
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA shares dropped Monday. But for investors, fuel wasn’t the only concern. The British Airways parent is trading close to its old highs, as a new dispute about who pays for Heathrow’s expansion brings attention to a costly item the company can’t hedge. IAG was last at 473.25 pence, off 9.45 pence, as of 0946 BST. Volume was 2.24 million shares. The stock is trading 3.99% under its 52-week high of 492.90 pence from June 25, but it's still up 39.5% for the year, per delayed market data.
BAE Systems (LON:BA) buyback case looks better after shares fall with UK defence review coming
BAE Systems plc had a mixed week, bouncing on Friday while the broader market slumped, but still posted a lower finish over five days. The dip means its fresh buyback program will pick up more shares with the same money. BAE closed at 1,808p in London, up 0.89% for the day, Hargreaves Lansdown data said. The FTSE 100 lost 0.21% on Friday. But BAE finished the week 2.1% lower than last Friday's close.
Stock Market Today: Live Updates 25.07.2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 25, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 25, 2026, 3:22 PM EDT Retail Traders Eye Founder-Led Australian Names as Markets Stay Volatile July 25, 2026, 1:26 PM EDT. Retail investors are sticking with founder-led stocks in Australia as Middle East tension, energy swings and uncertain rates cloud the outlook. Flight Centre Travel Group (ASX:FLT), market cap A$2.38 billion, is betting on digital and AI while working through margin squeeze and debt. Macquarie Technology Group (ASX:MAQ), at A$1.65 billion, is building its core cloud, data centre and cyber business for major corporate and public contracts. Investors are drawn
Stock Market Today: Live Updates 24.07.2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 24, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 25, 2026, 3:59 AM EDT Lane Cove Apartment Draws Only Single Bid, Sells Below Guide as Sydney Auction Market Struggles July 25, 2026, 3:57 AM EDT. A two-bedroom apartment in Lane Cove sold for $785,000 under the hammer, with just one bid recorded. Agents had hoped for more competition, guiding buyers at $790,000. The reserve sat at the same level as the lone bid. Auctioneer Pete Matthews called current conditions the toughest in his 30-year career, saying even the GFC didn’t compare. The unit was one of 451 auctions scheduled
Stock Market Today: Live Updates 19.07.2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 19, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 20, 2026, 3:59 AM EDT BP shares rally 29.5% as oil prices drive up refining margins, but output slips July 20, 2026, 3:52 AM EDT. BP shares are up 29.5% from a year ago, lifted by higher oil prices with Brent crude averaging $103.85 a barrel in Q2 2026. That pumped up BP’s refining margins to $29.6 per barrel, nearly twice the year-ago level. The company is cutting net debt, moving from $25.3 billion toward $22-23 billion. Analysts see the stock hitting 599p, or even 700p within twelve months, showing
Stock Market Today: Live Updates 18.07.2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 18, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 19, 2026, 3:59 AM EDT Goodwin (LSE:GDWN): Another UK Engineering Bet as Rolls-Royce Valuation Climbs July 19, 2026, 3:49 AM EDT. Rolls-Royce has led the FTSE rally, but its rich price could cap future gains. Goodwin (LSE:GDWN), a UK engineering firm with 143 years in defence, nuclear and aerospace, is aiming to double 2026 trading profit to £71 million. Revenue climbed 27.4% and margins are up. Goodwin has a £288 million order book and a pipeline led by defence and energy deals, though these aren’t fully disclosed. Shares have dropped
Stock Market Today: Live Updates 17.07.2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 17, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 18, 2026, 3:59 AM EDT Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY) Up 210% in Five Years, but Valuation Views Split July 18, 2026, 3:52 AM EDT. Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY) has climbed 209.6% over five years, but views on its valuation are mixed. The Excess Returns model points to 45.5% upside with a fair value of £2.05 per share. At the same time, traditional market multiples put the stock at a premium. Lloyds trades on a 14.0 P/E, higher than the industry’s 11.7. The Bank of England is weighing relaxed leverage rules,
BHP faces Port Hedland strike threat as copper growth story in focus
BHP Group Ltd goes into Thursday’s session with shares under pressure as the market treats a short labour stoppage as something that could drag out and challenge the miner’s main cash source. The ASX gave BHP’s latest close at A$57.51, down 2.31%. For the S&P/ASX 200, the daily wrap showed a 0.21% drop. That 2.10 percentage point difference points to a BHP-driven selloff, not just overall weakness in Australia. It's awkward for shareholders since iron ore actually climbed. Trading Economics showed iron ore CNY at 746 yuan a tonne for July 8, up 1.43%, with futures gaining on news of the planned BHP Port Hedland strike. Usually a miner with low-cost tonnes gets a lift from higher ore prices. BHP
FTSE 100 drops as oil surge stokes rate fears
UK stocks fell Wednesday as oil’s rally stopped being an easy win for London. Brent prices lifted BP and Shell, but higher oil brought rate fears back. The FTSE 100 had energy names up, but most other shares fell. FTSE 100 lost ground Wednesday, showing the index hasn’t been a safe spot for investors. Still, it’s up 5.62% in 2024 and has gained 18.29% over the last 12 months, so there were profits on the table before the drop. The easy path for UK stocks in June now faces stiffer tests as earnings season arrives in July.
Aviva shares tick higher after Tesco deal aims at parents’ insurance gap
Aviva plc ticked up Tuesday after tying up a distribution deal with Tesco plc, offering a new sign on Aviva’s push to grow protection sales. Protection still trailed the insurer’s wealth and general insurance business in the first-quarter update. Aviva’s investor page had the shares trading at 677.80 pence, up 0.30%, at 15:40 UK time. Market cap on the same page was 20.3 billion pounds as of Monday’s close. Hargreaves Lansdown listed the bid-offer spread at 677.60p/678.00p with a prior close at 675.80p, volume of 3.22 million shares, a 5.80% dividend yield and P/E of 25.12.
Unilever rallies, closing in on analyst targets ahead of July earnings
Unilever PLC shares jumped more than 3% on Tuesday, outpacing gains on the FTSE 100 ahead of the consumer group's half-year earnings later this month. Hargreaves Lansdown delayed data had Unilever at 4,695.75p, up 139p. The FTSE 100 was up 0.47% at 10,701.46. The stock is now sitting about 9.9% below the median 12-month analyst target of 5,160.27p on Investors Chronicle, after starting the week with a 13.2% gap from Monday’s 4,557p finish. That shift puts pressure on the next set of results, since the story is looking cleaner but tighter—investors now have to bet on volume growth, emerging markets and buybacks, with less of a cushion from a cheap price.
Rolls-Royce shares push past median target, spotlighting cash-flow test
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc shares dropped on Tuesday. The real issue for investors now is how much of the 2028 cash-flow plan is already priced into the stock. Rolls-Royce shares slipped 1.3% to 1,483.4p as of 9:57 BST, while the FTSE 100 was up 0.6% just after 09:26 BST. Google Finance showed the company's market cap at £123.86 billion, with a 52-week high of 1,532.6p, set in late June.
OpenAI, Anthropic eye IPOs while $1 trillion talk tests token prices
OpenAI and Anthropic are lining up for public debuts, and Wall Street is already looking at the numbers. OpenAI’s most recent private valuation sits at about 1.7 times Anthropic’s when you compare annualized revenue. If OpenAI were to go public at $1 trillion, that lead would jump to nearly two times. The company marks are from their own statements. In March, OpenAI said it finished a $122 billion round, putting its post-money value at $852 billion and said monthly revenue had hit $2 billion. Anthropic said in May it raised $65 billion at a $965 billion post-money valuation, with run-rate revenue above $47 billion.
easyJet U27938 emergency lands; Castlelake deal spread sticks around 12% as aircraft availability watched
easyJet plc put its recovery plans in focus Monday as flight U27938/EZY7938 from Copenhagen to Amsterdam declared an emergency and diverted to Hamburg. The incident hit just hours after the airline’s board edged nearer to supporting a £5.5 billion buyout from U.S. aviation investor Castlelake. AIRLIVE reported the Airbus A319-111, registration OE-LQP, hit 34,000 feet before the crew made a rapid descent, switched the transponder to Squawk 7700, and diverted to Hamburg. The report still didn't state a cause. The plane landed on runway 23 in Hamburg at 13:53 CEST, met by emergency vehicles. The airline later said it was working on plans to resume the trip, but more maintenance was needed.
Metals Exploration (LON:MTL) rises 5.3% while Runruno cash faces La India question
Metals Exploration plc closed Monday up 0.70p at 13.80p, rising 5.34%. Shares finished at the session high. London Stock Exchange hours ran 0800-1630 BST on July 6, with quoted data delayed as of 1635 BST. Shares moved up with no new operating RNS out. The last update on the RNS feed was a June 24 director/PDMR dealing notice. Before that, the latest was a June 15 AGM result and a June 15 Batong Buhay exploration deal. Its most recent quarterly operating update was back on April 23.
Glencore shares fall, copper drawdown dull ahead of July output test
Glencore plc slipped 0.6% to around 510.5 pence on Monday in London, underperforming a weak mining sector. Traders shrugged off low copper stockpiles and focused on the company’s July output update. The London Stock Exchange trades from 0800 to 1630 local, with London at 1305 BST. FTSE 100 edged down 0.1% to 10,663.68 by 1037 GMT, Reuters said, as weaker precious metal miners pushed against financials. Glencore barely moved in today’s trading. The bigger point is the stock has dropped roughly 14% over the last month, despite copper’s visible LME draws still giving bulls something to hold onto.
Craneware (LON:CRW) share price: £130 million wiped out after FY26 warning as 340B timing hits growth
Craneware plc lost about £130 million of equity value on Friday after the healthcare software group said delayed 340B drug activity and pushed-out enterprise contracts would leave full-year revenue and profit below market expectations. London markets were closed on Saturday, so the fall stands as the last traded price for the week. The stock closed at 1,082p, down 380p, or 26.0%, from Thursday’s 1,462p close. Reported volume was 2.52 million shares, equal to about 7.4% of Craneware’s AIM securities in issue. That is the sharper investor point: a near-flat earnings reset triggered heavy churn in a stock with only 34.24 million shares in issue, excluding treasury shares.
easyJet (LON:EZJ) sees £700 million in potential takeover spreads ahead of Monday open
easyJet is facing a £700 million takeover-spread test before the market opens Monday. easyJet plc starts the week with its deal spread now wider than its total decline over the past week. Shares finished Friday at 558.20p, nearly flat on the day, down 4.3% from last week’s close, daily price data shows. The stock touched 544.60p during Friday’s session, falling below Castlelake’s initial 560p bid.
LSEG stock (LON:LSEG) outpaces FTSE as AI-risk bet shifts to July results
London Stock Exchange Group plc ended the week with a five-session climb that looked stronger than the broader UK rally, but the trading pattern carried a warning: the biggest gains came before Friday, and Friday’s advance came on the lightest volume of the week. The London market was shut on Saturday, so Friday’s close was the latest traded price. LSEG closed up 0.72% at 8,670 pence on July 3. The FTSE 100 closed at 10,679.03 on Friday, up 0.2% on the day, and posted a weekly gain as financials and miners rose.
Tesco share buyback on watch after stock drops from high
Tesco PLC heads into Monday trading below the level of its most recent announced buyback. Shares reached a 52-week high this week. Saturday was outside regular hours for the London Stock Exchange, which runs Monday to Friday from 0800 to 1630 BST. Tesco shares dropped 7.00p to 466.60p on Friday. It’s a minor move over the bigger picture, but stands out because Tesco picked up 4 million shares July 2 at an average 471.47p. That latest buyback is sitting above market, at least until trading starts again.
Unilever (LON:ULVR) lags FTSE 350 with traders eyeing buyback and July results
Unilever PLC edged higher for the week, but shareholders are still left asking about the stock’s lag versus the wider UK market. The company’s buyback has lowered the share count, though that hasn’t fixed the underperformance. With London markets closed for the weekend, Friday’s close stands: 4,620.00p, down 16p, or 0.35%. The FTSE 100 finished up 26.16 points at 10,679.03, a gain of 0.25%. The stock traded like this against the index on Friday, quote data showed:
National Grid’s AI investment leaves stock unmoved, Ofgem review still ahead
London markets were closed Saturday, capping a week where National Grid plc ended little changed. The London Stock Exchange runs from 0800 to 1630 local time, Monday through Friday, so the next move for the stock will come Monday when trading returns. National Grid finished Friday at 1,244p, up 1.14%. That topped the FTSE 100, which added 0.25%. Still, shares are down 12.9% from their March 2 peak of 1,428.5p. The market isn’t fully pricing National Grid’s AI push yet.