London, July 1, 2026, 16:02 BST
- BAE Systems changed hands at 1,870.50p bid, 1,871.00p offered, rising 1.46%. The FTSE 100 Index (INDEXFTSE:UKX) slipped 0.52%.
- BAE Systems’ voting-rights base slipped by 2.38 million shares, or 0.08%, from the end of May through June, based on new buyback and share-count disclosures.
- The UK’s defence plan sets aside £15 billion for four years, though £4.7 billion is tagged to 2026, so investors now watch for order timing to see the next share-price move.
BAE Systems plc (LON:BA) traded higher in London on Wednesday, bucking the broader index. The stock gained about £0.8 billion in quoted equity value, based on Hargreaves Lansdown’s market-cap data, as traders looked at a trimmed share count and a UK defence policy that offers contractors some clearer guidance but keeps budget risk.
| Delayed market read | BAE Systems | FTSE 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday move | up 1.46% | down 0.52% |
| Tuesday move | up 1.99% | up 0.12% |
| Latest BAE quote | 1,870.50p/1,871.00p | — |
| BAE volume shown by HL | 2.87 million shares | — |
BAE added 1.99% Tuesday to close at £18.44. The FTSE 100 inched up 0.12% the same day, MarketWatch said. Wednesday’s move on the broker quote kept BAE roughly 21% under its 52-week peak of 2,360p.
BAE’s July 1 total-voting-rights notice put its ordinary shares in issue at 3.153 billion and total voting rights at 3.006 billion as of June 30. That’s little changed from 3.008 billion voting rights reported at May 29. The share count is a less-followed filing.
| Share-count item | May 29 | June 30 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issued ordinary shares | 3,155,992,934 | 3,153,414,367 | -2,578,567 |
| Treasury shares | 147,698,792 | 147,503,915 | -194,877 |
| Total voting rights | 3,008,294,142 | 3,005,910,452 | -2,383,690 |
The stock’s drop is modest, but with shares trading at 24.52 times earnings, it stands out. The company picked up 564,908 shares between June 22 and June 26 at a volume-weighted average of 1,801.75p. Total spend was about £10.2 million. That price was roughly 3.8% under the mid quote on Wednesday.
UK defence spending is getting a bigger push after Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised another £15 billion over the next four years, up to £79 billion a year by 2029. The new plan splits out £5 billion for drones and autonomous weapons, adds a hybrid navy, and backs the next-gen fighter project. The government also flagged £4.7 billion marked “to be funded at Budget 2026” in a new document. Reuters
| UK plan line | Figure |
|---|---|
| Planned new defence spending over four years | £15 billion |
| Projected yearly defence spend by 2029 | £79 billion |
| Allocated for drones and autonomous weapons | £5 billion |
| Money still held for Budget 2026 | £4.7 billion |
BAE CEO Charles Woodburn called the government’s pledge “vital to sustaining the specialist skills” in the industrial base. Reuters said BAE’s UK sales top £8 billion a year. Reuters
It comes down to when the orders are placed. Defence chiefs wanted £28 billion, but Tom Sharpe, a retired Royal Navy commander, told Reuters this is just “cost-cutting by another name.” He called the hybrid navy plan “chronically underfunded.” Reuters
BAE is sticking to the same outlook it gave in its May trading update. Woodburn had said at the time: “We’ve delivered a strong start to 2026.” The firm is still calling for 2026 sales growth of 7% to 9%, underlying EBIT up 9% to 11%, and free cash flow above £1.3 billion.
| BAE 2026 guidance | Company guide |
|---|---|
| Sales growth | Expected at +7% to +9% |
| Underlying EBIT growth | BAE targets +9% to +11% |
| Underlying EPS growth | Guided at +9% to +11% |
| Free cash flow | Seen over £1.3 billion |
BAE is set to report half-year results for the six months through June 30, with the next scheduled test coming up July 30.
