News 24 March 2026 - 25 March 2026

Shares of Rolls-Royce Holdings climbed roughly 2% on Wednesday after the engine maker reported another round of buybacks, while optimism over possible de-escalation in the Middle East lifted the broader UK market. The stock changed hands near 1,190.5 pence in London, gaining about 2.1% from its previous close. This one catches attention largely because Rolls-Royce has been a talking point since late February, when it posted a 40% surge in annual profit, ramped up its outlook, and announced plans for up to £2.5 billion in buybacks for 2026—buybacks meaning the company’s snapping up its own shares. Stock’s still lagging, though: even after Wednesday’s rally, shares sat roughly 16% under their 1,420-pence peak.

Shares of National Australia Bank dropped 4.45% to A$42.75 on Tuesday, deepening its sharp March slide. That leaves the major Australian lender 10.7% lower for the month, Investing.com data show. Why does that matter? Investors are probing just how stretched valuations have gotten for Australia’s big four banks as clouds gather over the macro outlook. This week, NAB economists trimmed their forecasts for Australian growth and held on to their prediction of a 25-basis-point hike from the Reserve Bank of Australia in May. A basis point equals one-hundredth of a percent.

National Grid finished Tuesday’s session up 1.73% at 1,232 pence, shrugging off Goldman Sachs’ move to a neutral rating as the utility’s spending-fueled growth narrative continued to draw investor support. The stock outperformed the FTSE 100, which settled 0.7% higher. Resilience counts here, with National Grid pushing to maintain momentum as UK rate expectations head higher and brokers hesitate. Despite Tuesday’s gain, shares remained roughly 14% under their March 2 high, which followed the company’s raised medium-term earnings guidance.

B&M European Value Retail PLC slid 4.28% to 156.5 pence Tuesday, putting the discount retailer on the back foot in London trading. Even after a late-day filing revealed BlackRock's 10.74% stake in the company, the news barely moved the needle. This is key for B&M, still in recovery mode after two profit warnings in just three months. Tuesday’s uptick barely nudged the stock—shares ended just 2.5 pence over their 52-week low at 154 pence, still sitting more than 50% beneath the year’s peak.

Shares of Experian slipped 2.66% to 2,566 pence on Tuesday, trailing the FTSE 100's 0.7% gain. The credit-data firm revealed it had kicked off another chunk of its $1 billion buyback: a March 24 regulatory filing showed Experian purchased 581,708 shares on Monday via JPMorgan, paying an average price of 2,667.3455 pence apiece. The company said these shares will be cancelled. This shift is notable—so far, the buyback hasn't done much to calm the stock, which has been sliding since January. North America accounted for 68% of group revenue in Experian’s most recent trading update. Full-year numbers land May 20. Back in January, Reuters flagged that investors were fretting about weakening lending demand, changes in the mortgage market, and the

Standard Chartered PLC ended Tuesday in London at 1,576 pence, up 0.6%. That was just ahead of Barclays, which managed a 0.47% rise, and well clear of HSBC, dropping 0.14%. The FTSE 100 finished 0.72% higher. Still, Standard Chartered’s stock stayed under its 52-week peak of 1,924 pence. The story here is Standard Chartered caught between two forces: rewarding shareholders with a $1.5 billion buyback, and its notably heavy Middle East exposure. That exposure stands out among European banks, especially now, with Brent crude trading north of $100 a barrel and the Bank of England’s rate outlook moving yet again.