News 4 July 2026

Meaco Air Conditioner Restock Sells Out Fast in Heatwave Run
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Meaco Air Conditioner Restock Sells Out Fast in Heatwave Run

Meaco’s new batch of Cirro portable air-conditioners is showing what UK buyers are willing to spend on cooling when stock is low and the heat doesn’t let up. Meaco’s 12,000 BTU cooling-only air conditioner restocked on Wednesday but sold out again, Ideal Home reported. TechRadar noted all six models of the Cirro line were gone from Meaco’s site before this week’s staggered restock. The company said cooling-and-heating models should be available Thursday and Friday.
July 9, 2026
Intertek’s 3% cash spread after EQT dividend leg collapse
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Intertek trails FTSE 100 with EQT bid spread close to 3%

London markets are closed Saturday. The London Stock Exchange is also listed as shut on July 4, regular trading runs 0800 to 1630 BST on weekdays. Intertek Group plc goes into next week still in play on EQT AB’s recommended offer, finishing Friday at 5,820p, volume was 338,351 shares. The stock closed 180p below the £60 per share cash offer from EQT's Isotope Bidco. With the final dividend out, buyers here see a 3.1% gross spread. The headline deal price was £61.077 a share, but that factors in a 107.7p final dividend that went to holders on May 29 and is due June 24.
July 4, 2026
Halma stock bounces but photonics outlook remains in focus ahead of July dividend
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Halma stock bounces but photonics outlook remains in focus ahead of July dividend

The London Stock Exchange was closed Saturday. Normal hours for the LSE are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday in London. That means Friday’s close stands as the latest for Halma plc until markets reopen. Halma gained 1.11% to close at £40.14 on Friday. The FTSE 100 Index ended up 0.25% at 10,679.03. Still, Halma is down 18.12% from its June 3 peak of £49.02, so the latest rebound hasn’t made up for the June drop.
July 4, 2026
IHG buybacks don’t stop weekly loss even as World Cup lifts hotel numbers
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IHG buybacks don’t stop weekly loss even as World Cup lifts hotel numbers

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC fell last week, even as London’s main index moved higher. The stock stood out since its buyback was big relative to trading volumes in its U.S.-dollar shares. Holiday Inn parent ended Friday at $167.55, down 1.1% for the session and off 2.3% from June 26. The FTSE 100 added 1.6% across that stretch, finishing Friday at 10,679.03. London equities were closed for the weekend at the dateline.
July 4, 2026
Smiths Group faces Monday buyback test after £1.9bn Detection deal
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Smiths Group faces Monday buyback test after £1.9bn Detection deal

Smiths Group has Monday in focus after lining up a £1.9bn buyback plan straight off the back of its Detection business sale. London was closed for the weekend. Smiths Group Plc finished Friday at 2,634p, up 40p, or 1.54%. Hargreaves Lansdown listed the market as closed, showing the FTSE 100 up 0.25%. On Monday, the focus will be how much of the £1.93 billion buyback plan is priced in.
July 4, 2026
Smith & Nephew (LON:SN) buyback tops dilution; shares lag FTSE 100
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Smith & Nephew (LON:SN) buyback tops dilution; shares lag FTSE 100

London was closed Friday, so Smith & Nephew plc heads into Monday with a reduced share count and no change on the day. The main question for investors after the first-quarter report in May is still about U.S. knees: will growth there in the second half meet the 2026 targets? Smith & Nephew finished Friday at 1,127p, adding 0.50p for the day. The stock lagged the FTSE 100, according to AJ Bell. Market cap stood near 9.52 billion pounds. The year's range is 1,050p to 1,441.50p.
July 4, 2026
IAG shares trail FTSE with investors watching fuel cost pass-through before Q2
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IAG edges lower on FTSE, fuel price drop does little for thin trading

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA dipped Friday, leaving the market looking to next week for signs if lower jet-fuel prices will keep shares near their June top. Investors wait to see how much of this year’s fuel costs the British Airways parent can push through. IAG ended Friday at 477.50p, dropping 1.50p, or 0.31%. The stock started at 476.50p. Google Finance reported volume of 5.48 million shares, well under a 17.55 million average. On-book turnover via the London Stock Exchange was about 19.8 million pounds.
July 4, 2026
Craneware (LON:CRW) share price: £130 million wiped out after FY26 warning as 340B timing hits growth
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Craneware (LON:CRW) share price: £130 million wiped out after FY26 warning as 340B timing hits growth

Craneware plc lost about £130 million of equity value on Friday after the healthcare software group said delayed 340B drug activity and pushed-out enterprise contracts would leave full-year revenue and profit below market expectations. London markets were closed on Saturday, so the fall stands as the last traded price for the week. The stock closed at 1,082p, down 380p, or 26.0%, from Thursday’s 1,462p close. Reported volume was 2.52 million shares, equal to about 7.4% of Craneware’s AIM securities in issue. That is the sharper investor point: a near-flat earnings reset triggered heavy churn in a stock with only 34.24 million shares in issue, excluding treasury shares.
July 4, 2026
easyJet (LON:EZJ) sees £700 million in potential takeover spreads ahead of Monday open
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easyJet (LON:EZJ) sees £700 million in potential takeover spreads ahead of Monday open

easyJet is facing a £700 million takeover-spread test before the market opens Monday. easyJet plc starts the week with its deal spread now wider than its total decline over the past week. Shares finished Friday at 558.20p, nearly flat on the day, down 4.3% from last week’s close, daily price data shows. The stock touched 544.60p during Friday’s session, falling below Castlelake’s initial 560p bid.
July 4, 2026
Vodafone trails FTSE 100 as investors focus on Germany, Safaricom update fails to lift shares
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Vodafone trails FTSE 100 as investors focus on Germany, Safaricom update fails to lift shares

Vodafone Group Public Limited Company slipped last week while the London market climbed, giving up ground after an earlier bounce in the spring. Shares ended Friday at 98.70p, down 6.6% from 105.65p on June 26. Over that stretch, the FTSE 100 added 1.6% to hit 10,679.03. Look at the value lost. Vodafone reported 23.03 billion voting rights as of June 30, according to its July 1 statement. Last week’s 6.95p slide in the share price wiped around £1.6 billion off the equity tied to those voting shares. That lines up with the £ value of the KES 272 billion cash spent on Vodacom’s Safaricom stake buys, referencing Vodafone’s FY27 rate of €1 to 87p.
July 4, 2026
Legal & General (LON:LGEN) close to year high as stock slips with buyback yield near broker targets
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Legal & General (LON:LGEN) shares rally, £1.2bn buyback impact clipped

With London markets closed Saturday, the most recent price is Friday’s close. Legal & General Group Plc finished at 292.10p, up 0.24%. The FTSE 100 edged up 0.25% to 10,679.03, banking a weekly gain as financials supported the index. The buyback numbers give a clearer read for investors. L&G has spent 34.0% of its £1.2 billion share repurchase plan, according to the latest table. Shares now sit 13.5% above the programme’s average purchase price. The stock’s move makes the initial buybacks look cheap, but any new buys will cost more and have less impact.
July 4, 2026
Aviva (LON:AV) jumps past FTSE on Direct Line buyback math
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Aviva (LON:AV) jumps past FTSE on Direct Line buyback math

Aviva plc heads into next week with a firmer showing than the rest of the London market. Shares finished Friday at 668.40p, up 0.60% on the day, bringing its five-day climb to 3.3%. The FTSE 100 added 0.25% Friday, gaining 1.6% for the week. London’s market was shut Saturday. The share count usually gets less attention. Aviva’s latest filings show it’s still buying back shares daily, though in small amounts. The bigger question for EPS is still the pace of Direct Line savings. On July 1, Aviva bought 106,017 shares at an average 652.51p. On July 2, it picked up 103,255 shares at 663.61p. So around £1.38 million of shares were bought back over both sessions.
July 4, 2026
Compass Group (LON:CPG) shares drop as currency move clouds screens ahead of July update
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Compass Group trades lower on FTSE 100 as investors eye July update, dollar move in focus

Compass Group PLC traded with less action than the FTSE 100 this week. The caterer dropped 1.36% to $32.71 on Friday, giving back some of Thursday’s 3.53% gain. The FTSE 100 finished up 0.2% at 10,679.03 on Friday, with the index booking a weekly gain as financials and miners led, according to Reuters. The key read is close-to-close. Compass ended up 3 cents under last Friday’s close. The FTSE 100 rose 171 points. Compass trailed the index by roughly 1.7 percentage points—a modest gap in most weeks, but it stands out ahead of the July 21 update.
July 4, 2026
Diageo shares slip as rebound stays weak, eyes turn to August strategy update
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Diageo slides on heavy volume, trails FTSE 100 in late session

London markets were closed Saturday, as usual. The London Stock Exchange runs Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. BST. Diageo plc last traded Friday, settling at 1,534p, off 0.2% on the day, down 2.7% from last Friday. The FTSE 100 closed out Friday at 10,679.03, up 0.25% for the session and 1.6% for the week. Tape action stands out. Diageo shares closed down in four of the last five sessions. Out of 26.8 million shares for the week, 21.5 million traded on days when the stock fell—about 80%. The heaviest day was Wednesday as 9.3 million shares changed hands and the stock dropped 2.6%.
July 4, 2026
3i discount to NAV leaves Action move in focus after bounce
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3i discount to NAV leaves Action move in focus after bounce

London was closed Saturday, leaving the week to July 3 as the latest test for 3i Group plc. Shares made a late bounce but still trade at a steep discount to NAV. The stock added 1.01% on Friday to close at £26.11, or 2,611p. The FTSE 100 rose 0.25% to 10,679.03. Shares ended Friday 41.94% off the 52-week high of £44.97 from Oct. 27. The stock isn’t trading like the clean Action growth bet it was last year, but it’s not down at the May 14 low either. Investors Chronicle listed the shares at 2,611p on Friday, or 43.07% above the 52-week low of 1,825p seen on May 14.
July 4, 2026
LSEG stock (LON:LSEG) outpaces FTSE as AI-risk bet shifts to July results
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LSEG stock (LON:LSEG) outpaces FTSE as AI-risk bet shifts to July results

London Stock Exchange Group plc ended the week with a five-session climb that looked stronger than the broader UK rally, but the trading pattern carried a warning: the biggest gains came before Friday, and Friday’s advance came on the lightest volume of the week. The London market was shut on Saturday, so Friday’s close was the latest traded price. LSEG closed up 0.72% at 8,670 pence on July 3. The FTSE 100 closed at 10,679.03 on Friday, up 0.2% on the day, and posted a weekly gain as financials and miners rose.
July 4, 2026
FTSE 100 gains this week on U.S. jobs beat, home data keeps lid on rally
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FTSE 100 gains this week on U.S. jobs beat, home data keeps lid on rally

London equities were quiet on Saturday, with no regular trading as the London Stock Exchange was closed. The main story for UK stocks is trading through July 3. On Friday, the FTSE 100 closed at 10,679.03, up 26.15, and the FTSE 250 finished at 23,538.80, up 121.22. The headline number for the week looks good, with the FTSE 100 up 1.6%. But the bulk of that move showed up on Thursday, when the index jumped 1.7% as weaker U.S. payrolls data knocked back bets on a near-term Fed rate hike. Take out Thursday, and the FTSE 100 was basically flat to slightly down for the rest of the week—down about 0.1% by a rough compound measure.
July 4, 2026
Standard Chartered gains as bank eyes digital-asset trades for fees
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Standard Chartered buyback lull tests rebound on thin trading

Standard Chartered PLC started the week coming off a rally Friday, gaining 1.53% to close at £21.22 in London trade. The FTSE 100 finished up 0.25% at 10,679.03. But Standard Chartered volume was only 1.9 million shares, well below the 50-day average of 7.9 million. Shares climbed 4.2% for the week from the June 26 close at £20.36. That beat the FTSE 100, which added 1.6%, moving from 10,508.02 to 10,679.03. Standard Chartered outperformed by about 2.6 points.
July 4, 2026
Haleon rebound draws eyes to July 30 sales and buyback support
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Haleon rebound draws eyes to July 30 sales and buyback support

Haleon's London listing gives the main price read this week. With U.S. markets closed Friday for Independence Day, London stayed open, and Haleon finished up 1.08% at £3.64 while the FTSE 100 gained 0.25%. Trading volume was 12.4 million shares, way below the 50-day average of 25.8 million. Haleon gained 2.82% on Thursday and added another 1.08% Friday, putting the two-day rise at 3.93%. That beat the FTSE 100, which was up 1.67% Thursday and 0.25% Friday, for a compounded 1.92% increase. The move was stronger than the index, but not by a lot.
July 4, 2026
Reckitt (LON:RKT) stock dips even after Mead Johnson victory as buyback calculation drags before July update
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Reckitt up in light action after Mead Johnson win, H1 margin in focus

Reckitt Benckiser Group plc bounced 3.67% for the week, but action stayed muted. Shares dipped 0.31% to 5,112p on Friday. Trading volume was just 822,250 shares, about 39% of the 65-day average. With July 4 on a Saturday, this update covers last week and looks ahead, as the London Stock Exchange trades Monday through Friday, 0800 to 1630 local. Reckitt investors got a legal update, not a sales one. A jury in St. Louis decided that Reckitt’s Mead Johnson business was not responsible for necrotizing enterocolitis in a premature baby. Reuters said this case is part of nearly 1,000 lawsuits targeting Mead Johnson and Abbott Laboratories, with over 700 cases grouped in Illinois federal court.
July 4, 2026
BAT stock lags FTSE as AI cuts face dividend question
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BAT stock lags FTSE as AI cuts face dividend question

British American Tobacco p.l.c. finished the week down despite bouncing mid-week. The market saw its AI-driven cost cuts as a move to protect guidance, not a reason to push the shares higher. The London Stock Exchange was closed Saturday. The stock last changed hands Friday at 4,621p, off 13p, or 0.28%. Volume was 1.04 million. The stock slipped 2.7% since last Friday’s close at 4,751p. Shares saw the biggest one-day drop on Wednesday, not on Monday after job cuts were announced. The market didn’t dismiss the cost-cutting plan, but shares moved lower through the week.
July 4, 2026
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