Investing 15 February 2026

United Utilities shares closed up 1.34% at 1,363p on Friday, marking a new 52-week high. The FTSE 100 rose 0.42% as investors favored defensive stocks. United Utilities also announced a joint project with Cadent to replace gas and water mains in Wigan starting Feb. 16. Trading volume reached about 2.5 million shares, with a dividend yield near 3.8%.

Halma (HLMA.L) closed at a 52-week high Friday, up 3.58% to 3,876 pence, with volume topping 1 million shares as the FTSE 100 gained 0.42%. The stock has risen 9.2% in a week and 31.8% in a year, trading at 39.6 times earnings and an RSI of 72.2. JPMorgan put Halma on “positive catalyst watch”; Goldman Sachs raised its price target to 4,280 pence. Halma’s next trading update is set for March 12.

Whitbread shares closed down 1.36% at 2,688p Friday, underperforming the FTSE 100. Trading volume was below average, with the stock nearly 19% off its October high. Corvex Management holds a 6% stake and is pressing for strategic changes. Investors await further signals on costs and strategy when trading resumes Monday.

Rentokil Initial shares closed up 0.5% at 442p Friday after plunging 6.9% the previous day, tracking U.S. peer Rollins’ weak results and weather warning. The company will redeem €500 million in bonds on March 2 and report full-year results March 5. Mike Duffy becomes CEO on March 16, succeeding Andy Ransom. Trading volume reached 11.6 million shares.

St James’s Place shares closed at 1,245.5 pence on Friday, down 0.76%. Denmark’s BLS Capital raised its stake to 4.244% of voting rights, according to a TR-1 filing. The wealth manager will report final results on Feb. 25. Market value stands near £6.5 billion.

IAG shares closed up 0.98% at 434 pence Friday, near a 52-week high, as traders positioned ahead of the Feb. 27 full-year results. Brent crude settled at $67.75 a barrel, while EU carbon prices dropped to their lowest since August 2025. Investors are watching fuel and carbon costs, summer demand, and potential U.S. airport disruptions. Analyst consensus puts IAG’s FY2025 operating result at around €5 billion.

Diageo shares closed Friday down 1.35% at 1,824 pence, with around 4 million shares traded. The company disclosed senior director Susan Kilsby will serve as executive chair at Fortune Brands Innovations until May. Diageo’s interim results are due February 25, with the ex-dividend date set for April 16.

3i Group shares closed up 5.1% at 3,436p on Friday, valuing the firm at about £35 billion. No new company filings appeared over the weekend. Investors await UK inflation data on Feb. 18 and retail sales on Feb. 20 for signals on interest rates. 3i’s Action Capital Markets Seminar webcast is set for March 26.

Anglo American shares closed up 0.06% at 3,586 pence in London on Friday. The miner will report full-year results and a sustainability strategy update on Feb. 20, with copper prices and the De Beers exit plan in focus. Anglo recently cut its 2026 copper output guidance and flagged $200 million in charges for Chilean sites. EU regulators cleared the Anglo American/Teck deal on Jan. 29.

RELX shares jumped 9.99% to 2,257p in London on Friday after the company disclosed buying 641,854 shares under its £450 million buyback. The stock’s rally followed a volatile week tied to AI concerns. RELX’s U.S. ADRs also rose, closing at $31.06. Investors await Monday’s open for further direction.

Reckitt Benckiser shares closed at 6,468 pence in London on Friday, up 1.16%. The company plans a special dividend of 235 pence per share and a 24-for-25 share consolidation, both set for Feb. 20. CEO Kris Licht and CFO Shannon Eisenhardt will present at the CAGNY conference on Feb. 19. Full-year results are due March 5.