Investing 9 March 2026 - 14 March 2026

Imperial Brands shares climbed 2.37% to 3,201 pence Friday after the company bought back 12,064 shares for cancellation. The buybacks are part of a £1.45 billion program announced in October. Imperial’s next trading update is set for April 14, with a final dividend payment due March 31. John Rishton will become chair in December, following recent leadership changes.

Schroders shares closed at 570.5p Friday after releasing the scheme document for Nuveen’s £9.9 billion takeover, with shareholder votes set for April 16. The stock remains 19.5p below the 590p cash offer and 41.5p below the 612p headline value including permitted dividends. Shares dropped mechanically after going ex-dividend for a 15p payout. BNP Paribas completed syndication of most lender commitments on March 11.

Pearson bought back 1,225,869 shares for cancellation on March 12 and issued 398,115 new shares for employee plans on Friday. The stock closed at 988.6 pence, up 0.67%. Pearson also published its audited 2025 annual report and filed its U.S. Form 20-F. The company has repurchased about 7.9 million shares so far under its £350 million buyback plan.

Reckitt Benckiser shares rose 0.17% to 5,325 pence after a 140,000-share buyback under a new £540 million program managed by Deutsche Bank. The move follows a sharp post-earnings drop and ongoing concerns over weak European demand, cold-and-flu sales, and “stranded costs” from asset disposals. Shares remain down 4.6% over five sessions.

Lloyds Banking Group shares rose 0.3% to 95.76 pence Friday, remaining well below their 52-week high. The UK bank index fell 4.8% Thursday as oil prices neared $100 a barrel, raising inflation concerns and delaying rate cut expectations. Lloyds also resolved a mobile app glitch that exposed some customer transactions. Housing data showed new buyer enquiries at their weakest since December.

London Stock Exchange Group shares rose 1.6% to 8,722 pence Friday after disclosing a buyback of 350,220 shares for cancellation. The company’s annual report showed total income of £9.0 billion and a 7.1% organic growth rate. Shares remain 27% below their 52-week high. Investors continue to scrutinize LSEG’s growth prospects amid ongoing buybacks and AI-related concerns.

Tesco PLC shares rose 1.45% to 475.5 pence Thursday, outperforming a falling London market as oil prices neared $100. The stock is up 7.6% since January 1 ahead of annual earnings due April 16. Tesco’s UK grocery market share climbed to 28.7% after a 4.5% sales increase in the 12 weeks to February 22. The company has told suppliers it aims to regain a 30% share.

3i Group shares rose 0.72% Wednesday after hitting a 12-month low, closing at a 3.42% discount to estimated NAV, according to Hargreaves Lansdown. The FTSE 100 fell 0.6% amid Middle East tensions. 3i reported Action sales of €16 billion and raised its stake in the retailer to 62.3%. CVC Capital Partners dropped 6.9% after warning on earnings, while KKR flagged pressure on private credit returns.

M&G Plc shares fell 2.1% to 297 pence ahead of Thursday’s full-year 2025 results. Analyst consensus points to a drop in adjusted operating profit to £820 million and weaker operating capital generation at £729 million. Assets under management are forecast to rise to £372 billion, with net outflows improving to £2.1 billion. The ordinary dividend is expected to increase slightly to 20.5 pence per share.