London, Feb 15, 2026, 12:09 GMT — Market closed.
- Tesco shares closed up 2.75% at 488.7p on Friday, outperforming the FTSE 100.
- The stock is up about 8% over the past week, near a £31 billion market value.
- UK inflation data due Feb. 18 and retail sales on Feb. 20 are next on the calendar for consumer names.
Tesco PLC shares ended Friday 2.75% higher at 488.7 pence, close to their 52-week high, after a busy session that saw more than 28 million shares change hands. Tesco’s market value stood at about 31 billion pounds and the stock was up about 8% over the last week, data from Hargreaves Lansdown showed. (Hargreaves Lansdown)
With markets shut over the weekend, the move leaves investors weighing how much of the rally is simply positioning ahead of UK data, and how much is a longer shift in how the market is pricing the grocer’s earnings stability.
Tesco’s push higher also comes against a backdrop of steady gains in UK stocks. The FTSE 100 rose about 0.4% on Friday to notch a third straight week of gains, helped by takeover activity and expectations of easier monetary policy, Reuters reported. (Reuters)
Rate expectations are doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill said interest rates were “a little bit too low” and argued underlying inflation looked closer to 2.5% than the BoE’s 2% target, signalling less urgency for further cuts. (Reuters)
The first test for those bets comes midweek. Britain’s official inflation release for January is due at 0700 GMT on Wednesday, Feb. 18, according to the Office for National Statistics schedule. (Gov)
Two days later, investors get a read on spending volumes. The ONS is due to publish its first estimate of Great Britain retail sales for January at 0700 GMT on Friday, Feb. 20. (Gov)
For Tesco, the most recent company catalyst remains its early-January trading update, when it pointed to full-year adjusted operating profit at the upper end of its guidance range after Christmas sales rose. Chief executive Ken Murphy warned at the time that “competition is as intense as ever,” a line that still hangs over the sector. (Reuters)
But that same competitive backdrop is the main downside risk. If rivals lean harder into promotions, or if cost pressures bite, the market’s assumption that Tesco can defend margins while keeping prices keen will get stress-tested quickly.
The next hard date on Tesco’s own diary is its preliminary results. Tesco’s investor calendar lists its 2025/26 preliminary results for April 16. (Tesco PLC)
Beyond the data prints, traders are also looking further out to the next Bank of England decision on March 19, a meeting that has become a focal point for the rate-cut debate. (Bank of England)
When London trading resumes on Monday, Tesco holders will be watching whether the stock can hold its ground near recent highs, with UK inflation on Feb. 18 and retail sales on Feb. 20 as the next near-term triggers before attention swings to Tesco’s April 16 results.
