London, Feb 15, 2026, 13:20 GMT — Market closed.
- 3i Group shares last closed up 5.1% at 3,436p on Friday
- Investors now eye UK inflation (Feb. 18) and retail sales (Feb. 20) for rate-cut signals
- 3i has an Action Capital Markets Seminar webcast scheduled for March 26
3i Group’s share price (III) last closed up 5.1% at 3,436 pence on Friday, valuing the London-listed private equity firm at about £35 billion as markets head into the new week. The company’s regulatory news feed showed no fresh filings as of Sunday. (London South East)
The move matters because 3i sits at the intersection of two fast-moving trades: interest-rate bets and the health of the consumer. With little new company detail in the past couple of sessions, macro data may do more work than stock-picking.
U.S. markets are shut on Monday for Presidents Day, a holiday that can thin volumes and make London trading more sensitive to domestic headlines early in the week. (SIFMA)
The wider tone into the weekend was firmer. London’s blue-chip index notched a third straight weekly gain as investors weighed deal activity and the path for interest rates, with markets pricing roughly a 63% chance of a quarter-point cut by the Bank of England in March. (Reuters)
That bet is not settled. Bank of England chief economist Huw Pill said underlying inflation looked closer to 2.5% and that rates were “a little bit too low”, leaning against further cuts for now. (Reuters)
First up is inflation. Official UK consumer price data for January are due at 0700 GMT on Wednesday, Feb. 18, the national statistics release schedule shows. (Gov)
Then comes the consumer read-through. Retail sales data for Great Britain for January are scheduled for 0700 GMT on Friday, Feb. 20. (Office for National Statistics)
For 3i, those prints can shift the discount rate — the interest rate investors use to turn future profits into today’s value — and that feeds into how the market marks private assets. The company’s calendar also lists an Action Capital Markets Seminar webcast on March 26, a potential catalyst for fresh colour on trading at the discount retailer. (3i)
But the same sensitivity cuts both ways. A hotter inflation number or a hawkish policy signal could lift bond yields and pressure valuations for private assets, while weak consumer figures would put retail exposure back under the microscope.
The next hard dates for traders are Feb. 18 and Feb. 20, before the Bank of England’s March rate decision on March 19 and 3i’s Action webcast a week later. (Bankofengland)
