London, Feb 15, 2026, 11:08 GMT — Market closed.
- Rolls-Royce shares ended Friday in positive territory, outpacing the wider London market.
- Strong appetite for jet-engine servicing kept the sector buoyed.
- Attention shifts to the next round of results and whether there’s any word on cash returns.
Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.L) shares climbed 3.67% to close at 1,271 pence (£12.71) on Friday, topping the broader London market’s performance. 1
Investors are eyeing Monday as Rolls-Royce approaches its 2025 full-year results release on Feb. 26, a date expected to shed light on cash flow and possible moves for returning capital to shareholders.
France’s Safran gave the sector a lift, projecting stronger profit for 2026 after its civil-engine services business—spare parts and maintenance, which command better margins than new engines—posted a 30% revenue jump in 2025. The company pointed to airlines choosing to keep older aircraft in the air, citing continued delays in the production of new jets. 2
The repair backlog is grabbing attention again. GE Aerospace, according to Reuters, is rolling out robots and adopting “Lean” production tactics—meant to slash waste—at its Singapore facility to ramp up repair throughput, with maintenance lines now stretching out for months industrywide. Tony Fernandes, co-founder of AirAsia, weighed in: engine makers “have got to remember airlines are their future and treat us as partners”. 3
Support across the market pulled the FTSE 100 up 0.42% to 10,446.35 on Friday, according to Investing.com data. 4
Rolls-Royce heads into the week with a customer spat lingering in the background. United Airlines, in a recent regulatory filing, revealed a dispute with Rolls-Royce over a long-term engine and maintenance agreement tied to 45 Airbus A350 jets. United claims a breach and wants its $175 million upfront payment from 2017 returned; Rolls-Royce, for its part, denies any contract violation. A spokesperson referred to United as a “valued customer” and stated the company remains “confident in our position”. 5
Rolls-Royce is in the middle of a non-discretionary, interim buyback, with plans to purchase up to £200 million worth of shares before Feb. 24. The company noted that decisions on the size of potential 2026 buybacks rest with the board, and details should be out when it reports FY25 results. 6
The trade isn’t locked in. Should aircraft deliveries pick up and repair delays clear, the tightness in parts and shop space could fade, potentially cooling off the high-margin services segment. Contract fights, too, can linger, and they tend to crop up in cash flow when it’s least convenient.
