News 30 March 2026

Haleon shares rise after 8.9 million-share buyback ahead of April update
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Haleon shares rise after 8.9 million-share buyback ahead of April update

Haleon bought back 8.94 million shares for cancellation under its £500 million repurchase plan, bringing total buybacks to about 19.5 million shares since March. Shares rose 2.53% to 376.2 pence in delayed London trading. UBS and Citi expect first-quarter organic sales growth of about 2.2%, below consensus, after weak respiratory demand. Haleon’s next trading update is due April 29.
March 30, 2026
Vodafone Shares Rise After Latest Buyback Filing as Germany Recovery Stays in Focus
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Vodafone Shares Rise After Latest Buyback Filing as Germany Recovery Stays in Focus

Vodafone bought back 2.7 million shares at an average 110.93 pence under its 500 million euro programme, bringing treasury holdings to 1.234 billion shares. The stock closed Monday up 2.1% at 112.60 pence in London. Germany and the UK made up 55% of group service revenue last quarter. Vodafone’s current buyback began in February and follows 3.5 billion euros of repurchases since May 2024.
March 30, 2026
3i Group CEO Buys £9 Million of Stock After Action Slowdown Triggers Selloff
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3i Group CEO Buys £9 Million of Stock After Action Slowdown Triggers Selloff

Simon Borrows and family trusts bought 350,147 3i shares at £25.55 each on March 26, totaling about £8.95 million, after 3i stock fell 17.66% last week. Action, 3i’s largest holding, maintained 2026 targets for 4%-5% like-for-like sales growth and at least 400 net store openings. Action reported €3.7 billion in net sales for the first 12 weeks of 2026, up 14.5% year-on-year.
March 30, 2026
Informa Plc accelerates share buyback, cancels 1.9 million shares as stock stays off highs
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Informa Plc accelerates share buyback, cancels 1.9 million shares as stock stays off highs

Informa Plc bought back 1.897 million shares last week for cancellation at an average 756.55 pence each, reducing its share count to 1.274 billion. The company raised its 2026 buyback target to £250 million and reported £4.04 billion in 2025 revenue. Some Middle East events have been delayed to late 2026 due to the Iran war. Shares closed Monday at 745.8 pence, down 25% from November’s high.
March 30, 2026
SSE Shares Jump as Utility Maps Out £29 Billion Grid Push Ahead of RIIO-T3
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SSE Shares Jump as Utility Maps Out £29 Billion Grid Push Ahead of RIIO-T3

SSE said Monday its SSEN Transmission unit plans about £29 billion in gross capital spending, with £22 billion net to the group, under Ofgem’s new five-year price control. The company expects regulated asset value to rise from £7 billion in 2025 to £30 billion by 2030. SSE shares closed up 3.7% at £25.74. Near-term earnings guidance for 2026 is below last year’s results due to mixed weather.
March 30, 2026
Isle of Man Diesel Prices Jump 50p as Pumps Run Dry, Government Says Midweek Relief Ahead
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Isle of Man Diesel Prices Jump 50p as Pumps Run Dry, Government Says Midweek Relief Ahead

Diesel prices on the Isle of Man surged by about 50 pence to 185.9p per litre Monday after some stations ran dry over the weekend, prompting queues and purchase limits. Fresh supplies began arriving later in the day following shipping delays caused by bad weather. Some retailers kept prices lower but capped sales at £20. The government expects prices to stabilise by midweek.
March 30, 2026
UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100 Jumps 1.6% as Oil Rally Lifts Shell, BP and Rio Tinto
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UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100 Jumps 1.6% as Oil Rally Lifts Shell, BP and Rio Tinto

The FTSE 100 jumped 1.6% to 10,127.96 on Monday, led by oil and mining stocks as Brent crude briefly topped $115 a barrel amid Middle East supply fears. The FTSE 250 slipped 0.05%. Sterling hit a three-week low against the euro, and UK two-year bond yields surged as traders shifted to expect more Bank of England rate hikes. Mortgage approvals rose to 62,600 in February.
March 30, 2026
Australia Stock Market Slips as Westpac Leads Bank Selloff, Rio Tinto and South32 Surge
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Australia Stock Market Slips as Westpac Leads Bank Selloff, Rio Tinto and South32 Surge

Australian shares fell 0.6% Monday, with the S&P/ASX 200 closing at 8,461 as banks and tech stocks dropped and miners gained on surging oil and aluminium prices. Westpac now expects three RBA rate hikes by August, while Canberra halved fuel excise for three months. Rio Tinto rose 4.9% and Westpac fell 4%. Brent crude neared $115 a barrel after its steepest March rise on record.
March 30, 2026
NatWest Group Plc Raises Mortgage Rates Again as UK Home Loan Costs Climb
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NatWest Group Plc Raises Mortgage Rates Again as UK Home Loan Costs Climb

NatWest Group will raise mortgage rates across new and existing deals from March 31, its second increase in a week. Many rates will rise by 0.28 percentage point, with a two-year fixed purchase at 60% loan-to-value moving to 5.02%. Barclays, HSBC, and Santander have also raised rates since early March. The average UK mortgage rate reached 5.50% on March 25, the highest since August 2024.
March 30, 2026
Standard Chartered PLC Hires Ex-Deutsche Banker Ole Matthiessen to Lead Digital Assets Push
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Standard Chartered PLC Hires Ex-Deutsche Banker Ole Matthiessen to Lead Digital Assets Push

Standard Chartered has appointed former Deutsche Bank executive Ole Matthiessen as global head of transaction services and digital assets, leading a new unit in its corporate and investment bank. Matthiessen will be based in Singapore and report to CIB CEO Roberto Hoornweg. The move follows recent senior hires and comes as the bank expands digital asset services and reported a 16% rise in 2025 pretax profit.
March 30, 2026
Compass Group Gets BNP Paribas Upgrade Ahead of Dollar Switch on LSE
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Compass Group Gets BNP Paribas Upgrade Ahead of Dollar Switch on LSE

BNP Paribas upgraded Compass Group to “neutral” from “underperform” but cut its target price to 2,150 pence ahead of the company’s April 1 switch to U.S. dollar share trading. Compass shares closed at 2,038 pence on Friday after a February selloff linked to concerns over AI and GLP-1 drugs affecting demand. The group reported £46.07 billion in 2025 revenue and completed a $1.7 billion Vermaat acquisition.
March 30, 2026
RELX PLC shares rise as buyback tests whether AI fears have gone too far
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RELX PLC shares rise as buyback tests whether AI fears have gone too far

RELX PLC shares climbed 1.9% to 2,438 pence in London on Monday after the company extended its buyback plan, authorizing up to £350 million in repurchases through April 22. The move follows a completed £450 million tranche and is part of a £2.25 billion program for 2026. RELX reported a 9% rise in adjusted operating profit in February. The company’s annual general meeting is set for April 23.
March 30, 2026
Prudential plc pushes ahead with buyback as $7 billion return plan takes shape
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Prudential plc pushes ahead with buyback as $7 billion return plan takes shape

Prudential plc bought back 379,780 shares on March 27 at an average 10.4349 pounds each, reducing its share count to about 2.53 billion. The repurchase, part of a $1.2 billion buyback program, was executed through JP Morgan on the London Stock Exchange. Shares bought back on the record date will not receive the May 13 dividend. Prudential’s U.S. ADRs fell 1.1% to $27.48 in New York trading.
March 30, 2026
Seplat Energy Stock Climbs as Oil Rally Puts Nigeria Producer’s 2026 Growth Plan in Focus
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Seplat Energy Stock Climbs as Oil Rally Puts Nigeria Producer’s 2026 Growth Plan in Focus

Seplat Energy’s London-listed shares rose 0.52% to 484.5 pence Monday as Brent crude topped $115 a barrel. The company reported 2025 revenue of $2.73 billion and plans 2026 production of up to 155,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Its ANOH gas plant began output in January, with further offshore gas expansion targeted for the third quarter. Final and special dividends totaling 8.3 U.S. cents per share are due in late May.
March 30, 2026
National Grid plc seals £3 billion Eastern Green Link 4 deals as UK grid upgrade speeds up
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National Grid plc seals £3 billion Eastern Green Link 4 deals as UK grid upgrade speeds up

National Grid secured £3 billion in supply-chain contracts for the 2-gigawatt Eastern Green Link 4 subsea power line between Fife and Norfolk, awarding Siemens Energy the converter stations and Prysmian the cable supply. Main construction is set for 2028–2033, pending planning consent. National Grid recently raised its FY31 investment plan to at least £70 billion. Shares rose about 2% in London.
March 30, 2026
Toyota ‘Will Not Survive’ Without Change, Koji Sato Warns as China Pressure Builds
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Toyota ‘Will Not Survive’ Without Change, Koji Sato Warns as China Pressure Builds

Toyota CEO Koji Sato warned suppliers the company may not survive without major changes, citing competition from Chinese automakers and tariff pressures. Sato’s remarks came days before Kenta Kon takes over as CEO on April 1. February data showed Toyota’s global output fell 3.9% and sales dropped 3.3%, with China sales down 13.9%. Despite record 2025 sales, leadership urged tighter cost control and faster adaptation.
March 30, 2026
BAE Systems plc buyback filing lands as defence orders pile up from the U.S. to Europe
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BAE Systems plc buyback filing lands as defence orders pile up from the U.S. to Europe

BAE Systems bought back 505,128 shares for cancellation between March 23 and 27, paying between 2,052 and 2,202 pence per share. The move comes as the Pentagon pushes BAE and others to increase munitions output, and U.S. officials urge defence firms to prioritise production over shareholder returns. BAE’s order backlog reached a record £83.6 billion in February. Recent contracts include fighter and naval deals with Britain, Turkey, and Norway.
March 30, 2026
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA Extends British Airways Middle East Flight Suspensions as Fuel, Safety Risks Rise

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA Extends British Airways Middle East Flight Suspensions as Fuel, Safety Risks Rise

International Consolidated Airlines Group will keep British Airways flights to Amman, Bahrain, Dubai, and Tel Aviv suspended until May 31, and Doha until April 30, as Middle East conflict disrupts routes. The carrier has added extra flights to Bangkok and Singapore. Europe's aviation regulator warned of new risks from crowded airspace. IAG recently reported record 2025 operating profit but faces fuel cost pressures and uncertain demand.
March 30, 2026
GSK plc wins China approval for Exdensur as hepatitis B drug bepirovirsen enters review
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GSK plc wins China approval for Exdensur as hepatitis B drug bepirovirsen enters review

China approved GSK’s asthma drug Exdensur for patients 12 and older and accepted its hepatitis B candidate bepirovirsen for regulatory review, the company said Monday. Exdensur’s approval followed trials showing it reduced annual asthma attacks by up to 58% versus placebo. The drug will compete with Dupixent and Xolair. Bepirovirsen targets chronic hepatitis B, where current treatments rarely clear the virus.
March 30, 2026
Unilever PLC Food Business Talks With McCormick Enter Critical Week Ahead of Earnings
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Unilever PLC Food Business Talks With McCormick Enter Critical Week Ahead of Earnings

Unilever shares opened at 4,500 pence in London as talks continue with McCormick over a possible Foods unit deal that could leave Unilever shareholders with a majority stake. The business, which includes Knorr and Hellmann’s, generated about €2.9 billion in operating profit last year. Barclays values the Foods arm at up to €31 billion including debt. McCormick will report first-quarter results March 31.
March 30, 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • UK Heatwave Pushes Prices Higher for Hot Tubs and Air Conditioners
    May 27, 2026, 11:12 AM EDT. The UK heatwave has led to significant price increases for seasonal cooling products, with the cost of an inflatable hot tub nearly doubling in a week, and air conditioning units up around 17% since April, driven by supply-demand pressures, shipping, and raw material costs. For example, the Bestway inflatable hot tub Lay-Z-Spa Cancún AirJet rose from £160 to £299 in weeks. Air conditioners like the Morphy Richards and De'Longhi models saw price hikes linked to higher oil and plastic prices affecting production. Retailers use dynamic pricing algorithms to balance customer demand and limited supply. Industry leaders highlight that shipping costs can triple during peak periods, further pushing prices upward. The heatwave-induced demand surge exemplifies the volatility in pricing for summer-related goods amid global supply chain challenges.