LONDON, April 6, 2026, 13:31 BST
Rolls-Royce Holdings stayed in focus on Monday as London’s market remained shut for Easter Monday, with a filing from last week showing the jet-engine maker bought 532,844 shares on March 31 for cancellation under its latest buyback programme. The company said it paid between 1,083 pence and 1,130.5 pence a share, taking the running total repurchased since the programme began to 28.2 million shares. 1
The timing matters because Rolls-Royce has pushed shareholder returns to the front of its equity story. It has pledged up to 2.5 billion pounds of buybacks in 2026, the first slice of a 7 billion-9 billion pound programme running through 2028. 2
Shares last closed at 1,188.5 pence on April 2, about 16.3% below the 1,420 pence peak hit after February results. The gap shows the post-results surge has cooled, even with the buyback still in view. 3
In February, Rolls-Royce said 2025 underlying operating profit rose 40% to 3.46 billion pounds and guided for 4.0 billion-4.2 billion pounds in 2026. Reuters reported the gain was driven by stronger airline-engine servicing and demand for power systems used in data centres. The company said it was targeting margins in line with GE Aerospace, its main rival in large long-haul jet engines, while Interactive Investor’s Richard Hunter called the numbers “sparkling” and said the group still had “unfulfilled ambitions.” 4
Chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic said the company’s “transformation continues with pace and intensity” and that Rolls-Royce had “navigated challenges from supply chain to tariffs” in 2025. He also said the balance sheet gave the group confidence to launch the multi-year buyback. 5
The main risk is still the supply chain. Rolls-Royce said its 2026 free cash flow guidance, a measure of cash left after operations and investment, already assumes a 150 million-200 million pound hit from parts shortages, and any renewed bottleneck could slow engine deliveries and shop visits, the maintenance work that follows an engine sale. 5
Another open question sits beyond the core civil aerospace and defence businesses. Reuters reported in February that Rolls-Royce was seeking British government backing for its UltraFan 30 demonstrator after the Financial Times said the initial ask was 100 million-200 million pounds. 6
The next formal checkpoint comes on April 30, when Rolls-Royce is due to hold its annual general meeting in Derby. Shareholders on the register on April 24 are due to receive the final 5 pence dividend on June 3, subject to approval. 7
