Investment Strategies 3 March 2026 - 20 March 2026

Rolls-Royce Holdings ticked up 0.1% to 1,191 pence by 1056 GMT on Friday, holding its ground while London’s FTSE 100 dropped another 0.1% and was on track for a third week in the red. The engine maker looked steadier than the index, which remains under pressure from oil and interest rate concerns. The stock’s move stands out, with Rolls-Royce still one of the FTSE 100’s standout industrial names since last month’s results and its shareholder return plan nudged the index to a record. But even after that jump, shares are trading about 16% below the 1,420-pence high for the year. That suggests February’s burst of optimism has collided with a tougher market mood.

London Stock Exchange Group shares slipped 1.85% to 8,680 pence as of 1620 GMT on Wednesday, trailing the FTSE 100’s 1.04% drop. Global risk-off sentiment pressured London stocks. LSEG changed hands between 8,664 and 8,852 pence, delayed Reuters data showed, compared with a previous finish at 8,844 pence. This drop lands at a tricky moment for LSEG, which is still working to recalibrate its stock after a bruising public fight over valuation, margins, and artificial intelligence. Back on Feb. 27, Elliott Management made its stake official, threw support behind the company’s fresh 3 billion pound buyback—calling it a “positive first start”—and pressed for more steps to close the gap versus rivals.

Informa Plc slipped 0.21% to finish at 759.2 pence on Tuesday, trailing the FTSE 100’s 0.83% climb, as the market mulled new buybacks but kept an eye on potential Middle East turmoil disrupting the company’s 2026 event schedule. That move is drawing notice right now: Informa last week stuck to its 2026 targets and pushed its share buyback up to 250 million pounds, despite announcing it was rescheduling over 10 Middle East brands for later in the year. The tone in markets has darkened, oil climbing above $100 a barrel, and prospects for rate cuts slipping as the war grinds on.

UBS slapped a sell rating on National Grid on Monday, sending the British utility’s shares down 1.27% to 1,356 pence. The analysts flagged that recent gains had pushed the stock up to historically risky valuation territory—levels that have tended to precede steep drops. This move came as the FTSE 100 edged up 0.55%. This one stings, targeting a stock that had surged past much of the market as investors piled into the electricity networks growth narrative. National Grid is still showing an 18.79% gain since Jan. 1, now sitting roughly 5% off its 52-week peak of 1,429 pence from March 2.

3i Group slipped 1.15% to 2,935 pence on Monday, bucking the FTSE 100’s 0.6% advance. Shares in the private-equity firm trailed the broader UK stock rebound, missing out as softer oil prices lifted other names. The stock swung between 2,932p and 3,035p during the session, closing out less than 2% above the 52-week floor of 2,887p. At the bell, shares were priced 3.29% below estimated NAV—typically the per-share value of its assets—according to Hargreaves Lansdown. That’s a far cry from its 12-month average premium of 39.01%.

CSL Limited fixed the Australian dollar payout for its interim dividend and continued its buyback, but those steps barely budged the mood around the biotech stock. Shares finished Friday at A$141.03, not far from the 52-week low of A$139.22 hit earlier in the session. Investors are weighing whether February’s steep profit miss and the sudden CEO departure signal a bottom—or something more drawn out. CSL has dropped 43.6% in the past year, following an 81% plunge in first-half earnings. The company blamed soft plasma and vaccine sales, one-offs, and Paul McKenzie’s abrupt exit at the top. Shares slid to lows not seen since 2018 after the announcement.

Halma shares were little changed on Thursday after the FTSE 100 life-saving technology group said second-half trading remained strong enough to keep its full-year outlook intact. By 15:11 GMT, the stock was up 0.05% at 3,910 pence after touching 3,956p earlier in the session. With Halma’s financial year ending on March 31, the statement is the last scheduled readout before year-end. The company said it still expects mid-teens organic constant-currency revenue growth — sales growth excluding acquisitions and exchange-rate swings — and an adjusted operating margin of around 22%, after raising guidance in November on strong photonics demand tied to U.S. data-centre construction. Full-year results are due on June 11.

Sydney — March 5, 2026, 18:19 AEDT Zip Co Ltd shares held steady Thursday, pausing at A$1.765 by 1:51 p.m. AEDT, just a day before the company kicks off its planned A$50 million on-market buy-back, according to a filing. More details are posted on the company’s investor relations page. https://yourir.info/ezapi/announcements/dbc6d3e76afbc820/2A1654684/ZIP_Notification_of_buy_back_ZIP.pdf https://zip.co/investors

New York, March 4, 2026, 15:17 EST — Regular session Ross Stores climbed roughly 6.9% to $211.35 as of Wednesday afternoon. Earlier, shares reached as high as $217.10 during the session.

New York, March 3, 2026, 14:30 — Regular session Walmart Inc picked up 0.7% by Tuesday afternoon, adding 83 cents to reach $127.93. During the session, shares moved from $125.54 to $127.97, putting the company’s market cap near $807 billion. The stock currently changes hands at around 35 times trailing earnings.

New York, March 3, 2026, 08:55 ET — Premarket Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp. lost 3.2% to $9.84 ahead of the bell Tuesday, retracing part of Monday’s sharp run. Shares wrapped up the prior session 27.5% higher at $10.16, trading between $7.58 and $10.99, according to market data.

New York, March 3, 2026, 06:00 EST — Premarket Whirlpool Corp slipped 1.7% to $62.97 before the bell Tuesday, after the company trimmed its 2026 adjusted profit forecast, citing dilution tied to its latest capital raise. The stock dropped 6.4%, settling at $64.06 in the prior session.

SYDNEY, March 3, 2026, 18:28 AEDT — Market’s final bell has rung. Wesfarmers Ltd dropped 0.55% to finish at A$79.62 on Tuesday, as local stocks lost ground late. The group, which runs Bunnings and Kmart, will pay out an interim dividend of 102 cents per share on March 31.