Investment 13 March 2026 - 17 March 2026

National Grid shares rose 0.5% to 1,362.75p in London on Tuesday, recovering part of Monday’s 1.27% drop after UBS cut its rating to Sell and raised its target price to 1,160p. The company’s shares remain up 19.5% this year after unveiling a £70 billion investment plan, but face regulatory risks and a £20 million payment over historic failures at the Harker substation.

Vodafone bought 2 million shares on March 13 under its €500 million buyback, with shares closing up 0.37% at 109.6 pence in London on Monday. The shares will be held in treasury, leaving about 23.11 billion in issue. Investors are watching for FY26 results on May 12, focusing on Germany and UK integration. Last month, Vodafone agreed to sell its VodafoneZiggo stake for €1 billion and a 10% share in a new Ziggo Group.

Diageo shares closed Monday at about 1,450 pence, down 1.2%, near a 52-week low after last month’s profit warning and dividend cut. U.S.-listed ADRs fell 0.6%. The FTSE 100 rose 0.55% the same day. CEO Dave Lewis plans to present a new strategy later this year as weak U.S. and Chinese demand continues to weigh on the company.

Legal & General bought nearly 3 million shares under a new £1.2 billion buyback, with shares to be cancelled, after closing up 0.65% at 247.9p Monday. Core operating profit missed forecasts at £1.62 billion and the Solvency II ratio fell to 210%. CEO Antonio Simoes said L&G is "very comfortable" with its capital and plans £2.4 billion in investor returns. Ric Lewis will step down from the board in May.

Britain’s FTSE 100 closed up 0.55% at 10,317.69 on Monday, lifted by gains in BP, Shell, and property stocks after oil prices fell. The FTSE 250 slipped 0.2% for a fourth straight loss, while Close Brothers dropped 15% after Viceroy Research revealed a short position. UK consumer sentiment hit a 14-month low, and two-year gilt yields rose sharply as traders scaled back bets on Bank of England rate cuts.

Anglo American shares rose 0.23% to 3,116 pence Monday, trailing gains by Rio Tinto, BHP, and Antofagasta as copper prices slipped and a London Metal Exchange outage disrupted trading. The company is advancing a $53 billion merger with Teck and a sale of De Beers after posting a $3.7 billion loss last month.

Suncorp Group shares closed 2.6% higher at A$15.62 on Friday, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200’s 0.14% drop. The company reported about 480 insurance claims from severe flooding in Queensland and the Northern Territory this week. Suncorp’s interim dividend of 17 cents per share is due March 31. First-half natural-hazard costs reached A$1.32 billion, well above allowance.

National Australia Bank shares closed up 1.53% at A$47.11 on Friday, tracking gains in Commonwealth Bank and Westpac as investors braced for a likely Reserve Bank of Australia rate hike next week. Australia announced plans to release 762 million litres of fuel reserves amid shortages linked to the Iran war. Brent crude traded above $100 a barrel. NAB’s net interest margin rose to 1.80% last quarter, but its capital buffer slipped.

Fortescue shares jumped 4.1% to A$20.49 Friday after China tightened curbs on BHP’s iron ore, sending prices to a two-month high. BHP fell 2.3%, Rio Tinto gained 3.1%. Fortescue set its DRP price at A$19.2518 for the March 30 dividend. The company also completed its Alta Copper acquisition in Peru on March 10.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia shares rose 1.26% to A$173.76 Friday, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200, as traders bet on a rate hike at next week’s Reserve Bank of Australia meeting. Financial stocks gained 1%, while miners fell 2.1%. Analysts now see a 25 basis point rate increase likely on March 17. CBA’s shares remain up 20.7% over the past year, but consensus price targets sit well below current levels.