Marcin Frąckiewicz

Shares of BAE Systems plc edged up roughly 0.3% to 2,306 pence in Friday’s late London action, building on Thursday’s 3.14% jump to 2,298 pence. That move kept the stock around record territory, even as the FTSE 100 slipped 0.3%. BAE stands out in London as a top pick for those banking on rising defense budgets. While oil surged past $100 a barrel and inflation fears were tempering expectations for looser policy, BAE’s shares stayed resilient, giving the company a market cap close to £67.2 billion.

Shares of Unilever Plc barely budged on Friday. The company, known for Dove soap, submitted its 2025 annual report and Form 20-F for U.S. investors, reiterating its cautious sales outlook for 2026. Earlier Friday, delayed data put the stock down 0.1% at 4,821.5 pence, compared to Thursday’s 4,827.5 pence close. The filing is key because CEO Fernando Fernandez still needs to prove a slimmed-down Unilever can accelerate growth after offloading its Magnum ice cream division in December. Back in February, shares slid over 3% when Unilever flagged that 2026 growth would hit the lower end of its 4%-6% target. RBC’s James Edwardes Jones acknowledged glimpses of improvement but cautioned “it will take time.” Quilter Cheviot’s Chris Beckett pointed out that

Wesfarmers shares pushed up roughly 1.3% to A$76.26 during Friday morning trade, standing apart from a weaker Australian market while the ASX 200 dipped about 0.35% early on. That comes after a Thursday close at A$75.29, with the stock finishing down 0.69%. That’s significant: Wesfarmers is being looked at more through the prism of valuation than pure retail these days. Schroders’ Kellie Wood, writing Thursday, pointed out Wesfarmers bonds are yielding around 5.4%—well ahead of the stock’s 3.7% dividend. Woolworths shows a similar spread. Wood’s take: “investors can now ‘get better yields in high-quality fixed income corporate bonds.’”