News 18 March 2026

Etihad Orders 10 Boeing Jets, Raising Talk of Hard-to-Get 787 Slots
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Stock Market Today: Live Updates 16.07.2026

LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 16, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 16, 2026, 8:13 AM EDT Xero (ASX:XRO), Two Other ASX Tech Names Screen Cheap on DCF, Cash Flows in Focus July 16, 2026, 8:08 AM EDT. Xero (ASX:XRO) and two other ASX-listed software names look undervalued by DCF models, even as Xero’s net margin slid to 6.1% from 10.8% and earnings dropped. Xero, out of Wellington, brings in NZ$2.75 billion in revenue with a market cap of A$11.65 billion. The cash flows and newer AI-driven tools like XeroForce leave the valuation looking interesting. This comes as tech stocks face tough
July 16, 2026
Compass Group PLC Stock Price Falls 4.5% as April Dollar-Trading Switch Is Confirmed
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Compass Group PLC Stock Price Falls 4.5% as April Dollar-Trading Switch Is Confirmed

Compass Group PLC finished Wednesday down 4.54% at 2,164 pence, trailing the FTSE 100 after the company said its London-listed shares will switch to U.S. dollar trading as of April 1. Shares now stand roughly 20% off their July 22 high. Timing’s key here. With less than two weeks before the switch, Compass is bringing its trading currency in line with its reporting currency. The caterer expects this to dampen FX-driven share price moves and make things clearer for global investors. According to the 2025 annual report, about three-quarters of its underlying operating profit is in U.S. dollars.
March 18, 2026
Why Schroders Share Price Is Holding Below Nuveen’s Offer Ahead of the April Vote
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Why Schroders Share Price Is Holding Below Nuveen’s Offer Ahead of the April Vote

Schroders ticked up 0.17% to close at 573p on Wednesday, remaining under the 590p cash offer Nuveen has on the table. The British asset manager’s sale stayed in the spotlight after new takeover-code disclosures surfaced, including a Vanguard filing that revealed a 2.53% stake in Schroders. The gap’s not trivial: those watching the deal now turn to milestones laid out in the scheme document released last week. Court and general meetings are set for April 16, with the takeover slated to complete sometime in the fourth quarter—pending shareholder votes, court sanction, and regulatory sign-off. If it does go through, Schroders’ London listing is set to disappear.
March 18, 2026
Imperial Brands PLC stock price falls 2.7% after holder trims stake, buyback rolls on
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Imperial Brands PLC stock price falls 2.7% after holder trims stake, buyback rolls on

Imperial Brands PLC dropped 2.74% to 3,127 pence in London on Wednesday, lagging the FTSE 100’s 0.94% slide. The shares moved between 3,115 and 3,212 pence, after closing at 3,215 pence the previous session. This decline is hitting just as Imperial doubles down on cash returns. Investors are set to collect a 40.08-pence final dividend on March 31, and the company is halfway through a £1.45 billion buyback, targeting completion by Oct. 28, 2026.
March 18, 2026
Legal & General Share Price Today: L&G Stock Still Under Pressure After Record Buyback

Legal & General Share Price Today: L&G Stock Still Under Pressure After Record Buyback

Legal & General Group Plc closed out Wednesday at 249.60 pence, slipping 0.6%. The insurer now sits roughly 10.7% under its Feb. 23, 52-week high. That decline was slightly less severe than the FTSE 100, which dropped 0.9%. This is crucial for L&G, which has been working to regain investor trust by streamlining its group setup, expanding its buyback, and maintaining dividend growth. Last week, though, results came in below market expectations, and that’s put fresh question marks on whether L&G can really deliver robust cash returns while sticking to stricter capital constraints.
March 18, 2026
SSE Share Price Falls 2% Despite Jefferies Raising Target to 3,060p
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SSE Share Price Falls 2% Despite Jefferies Raising Target to 3,060p

SSE shares dropped 2.11% to 2,685 pence on Wednesday, pulling back after hitting a 52-week high just the day before. Jefferies bumped its target price for the British utility up to 3,060 pence and stuck with a buy rating. The timing was significant—it coincided with a sharp division among brokers covering UK utilities. During that same batch of London ratings, Jefferies downgraded National Grid to hold. Meanwhile, a wider market slide accelerated, spurred by rising oil prices and traders dialing down expectations for imminent interest-rate cuts.
March 18, 2026
Standard Chartered PLC Stock Price Rises as India Card-Sale Review Sharpens Profit Focus
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Standard Chartered PLC Stock Price Rises as India Card-Sale Review Sharpens Profit Focus

Standard Chartered PLC finished Wednesday at roughly 1,630 pence, climbing 1.7% even as the FTSE 100 slipped 0.9%. Driving the move, investors reacted to a Reuters story that said the bank is considering bids for a chunk of its India credit-card portfolio. According to Reuters, Standard Chartered is weighing proposals from Kotak Mahindra Bank and Federal Bank, covering up to 600,000 India-only credit card customers. This shift would steer the bank even further from low-margin, single-product retail clients in India, moving it toward the affluent and wealth management segments it’s been chasing. Investors have been poking at that plan since Standard Chartered revealed higher profit forecasts for 2025 last month, along with a fresh $1.5 billion buyback.
March 18, 2026
Why Experian PLC Stock Price Fell 1.5% Despite a Fresh Buyback Filing
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Why Experian PLC Stock Price Fell 1.5% Despite a Fresh Buyback Filing

Experian Plc slipped 1.48% to end at 2,733 pence on Wednesday, trailing behind a London market that was already on the back foot. The credit-data firm had unveiled another tranche of buybacks from its ongoing $1 billion repurchase plan. The FTSE 100 lost 0.9%. This move comes with the stock still trading well below its 52-week high of 4,101 pence. Investors are feeling out whether buybacks and a slate of new product launches can help stabilize sentiment ahead of full-year results on May 20. Firmer signs from U.S. lending and mortgage flows could also catch attention, as those trends feed straight into Experian’s main credit-check and fraud-screening business.
March 18, 2026
BAE Systems plc stock price holds firm after new U.S. Air Force deal keeps defence trade alive
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BAE Systems plc stock price holds firm after new U.S. Air Force deal keeps defence trade alive

Shares in BAE Systems barely budged Wednesday, as the British defense contractor reported new U.S. Air Force work related to the U-2 spy plane. The stock was last seen at 2,329 pence in delayed London trading, off just 0.04%. Even with only a slight uptick, the shift caught attention. Investors continue to shell out for fresh defense contracts, capitalizing on a surge in military budgets. Back in January, Reuters noted that Europe’s aerospace and defence index jumped roughly 55% over the past year as governments ramped up spending, eyeing stricter NATO requirements.
March 18, 2026
GSK Stock Price Today: Shares Drop 2% as Vaccine Policy Risks Keep Investors Cautious
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GSK Stock Price Today: Shares Drop 2% as Vaccine Policy Risks Keep Investors Cautious

GSK shares in London finished Wednesday down nearly 2%, slipping to around 1,973 pence—worse than the broader market drop. Over in the U.S., the stock traded lower by about 1.9% at $52.42 during the afternoon, with European healthcare names broadly under pressure. The point is, GSK had bounced back sharply from a rough 2025, outpacing a number of European pharma rivals, with Luke Miels stepping in, earnings beating expectations, and specialty medicines driving growth, Reuters noted back in February. By Wednesday’s close, shares were sitting roughly 14% under their Feb. 18 52-week high of 2,282 pence.
March 18, 2026
FTSE 100 Today: UK Stocks Close Lower as Oil Surge Hits London Before BoE
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FTSE 100 Today: UK Stocks Close Lower as Oil Surge Hits London Before BoE

The FTSE 100 in London slipped on Wednesday, reversing earlier advances as another spike in oil prices pushed investors to pare back risk ahead of policy decisions from the Federal Reserve expected later in the day, and from the Bank of England set for Thursday. The FTSE 250, tracking mid-cap UK firms, also closed lower. This shift carries weight at the moment, as UK equities are again moving in tandem with the energy price surge and shifting rate expectations. The country remains deeply reliant on imported natural gas, leaving it vulnerable. According to economists surveyed by Reuters, few now expect a Bank of England rate cut on March 19; the majority have pushed forecasts for a 25 basis-point trim to
March 18, 2026
Australia Stock Market Today: ASX 200 Closes at 8,640.60 as BHP, Tech Shares Rise Before Fed
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Australia Stock Market Today: ASX 200 Closes at 8,640.60 as BHP, Tech Shares Rise Before Fed

Wednesday saw Australia's S&P/ASX 200 finish 0.31% higher at 8,640.60, gaining 26.30 points by the close. This shift landed just a day after the Reserve Bank of Australia bumped its cash rate up by 25 basis points—so, a quarter point—to 4.1%, passing in a narrow 5-4 split. It also arrived only hours before the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision, expected later Thursday in Sydney. Westpac chief economist Luci Ellis flagged that a second move in May looks "less certain" now, hinging heavily on developments in the Middle East.
March 18, 2026
Rio Tinto plc Stock Price Slips Despite Arizona Copper Breakthrough as Inflation Fears Bite
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Rio Tinto plc Stock Price Slips Despite Arizona Copper Breakthrough as Inflation Fears Bite

Rio Tinto plc’s U.S. shares slipped 1.1% to $88.79 by midday Wednesday. Traders digested fresh progress at the company’s Resolution Copper project in Arizona, but softer copper prices and another wave of inflation nerves kept a lid on the stock, which hit an intraday peak of $90.80. The market’s shrug is notable as Rio pushes copper to the front, even though iron ore remains the main profit engine. Back in February, the miner posted 2025 underlying earnings—excluding one-offs—of $10.87 billion. Copper chipped in roughly 30% of group earnings, but iron ore still held close to 60%.
March 18, 2026
National Grid Stock Price Falls as Jefferies Cut Adds Fresh Pressure After UBS Sell Call
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National Grid Stock Price Falls as Jefferies Cut Adds Fresh Pressure After UBS Sell Call

National Grid shares slipped Wednesday, pressured by a downgrade from Jefferies to Hold from Buy—just days after UBS slapped the stock with a Sell on Monday. The London-listed shares changed hands at 1,325.18 pence as of 4:40 p.m. GMT, off 2.6% for the session. Timing is key here. National Grid, earlier this month, bumped up its 2027 adjusted earnings-per-share growth forecast to between 13% and 15%. The company also signed on to RIIO-T3, Ofgem’s upcoming five-year UK transmission framework stretching from April 2026 through March 2031. Now, broker caution is setting in just as the shares had been riding high on that improved regulatory outlook.
March 18, 2026
Prudential plc stock price falls despite 12% profit growth, $1.2 billion buyback
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Prudential plc stock price falls despite 12% profit growth, $1.2 billion buyback

Prudential plc closed down roughly 2.7% in London on Wednesday at about 1,065 pence. The Asia-focused insurance group reported higher projected earnings for 2025, boosted its dividend, and rolled out another $1.2 billion buyback plan. Even so, the company disclosed a drop in its free surplus ratio. Prudential wants investor support for a beefed-up payout plan, even as it eyes 2027 cash targets. The insurer’s free surplus ratio—a straightforward gauge of capital above what’s needed—has slipped to 221%, down from 234% this time last year.
March 18, 2026
LSEG Stock Price Slides as Oil Shock Tests London Stock Exchange Group Buyback Rally
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LSEG Stock Price Slides as Oil Shock Tests London Stock Exchange Group Buyback Rally

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.
March 18, 2026
IAG Share Price Rises Despite Fresh Middle East Flight Suspensions
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IAG Share Price Rises Despite Fresh Middle East Flight Suspensions

Shares of International Consolidated Airlines Group SA ticked up roughly 0.7% to about 357.4 pence Wednesday afternoon, while its cargo arm rolled out another set of Middle East flight suspensions. IAG Cargo confirmed that service between London and Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv will remain off the schedule through May 31, and the London-Abu Dhabi route is now paused until October. The stock remains about 23% off its intraday peak of 464.28 pence from Feb. 27. Just a day later, the Iran conflict flared, and by March 17, roughly 30,000 flights involving Middle East airports were scrapped—a sharp illustration of how oil and airspace disruptions can swiftly hit airline pricing.
March 18, 2026
Elon Musk, SEC Enter Twitter Lawsuit Settlement Talks as Shareholder Jury Deliberates
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Elon Musk, SEC Enter Twitter Lawsuit Settlement Talks as Shareholder Jury Deliberates

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2026, 11:25 EDT. Elon Musk and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are negotiating a potential settlement of the government’s lawsuit tied to his lag in disclosing Twitter share purchases back in 2022, according to a court filing. That development could sidestep more hearings in Washington. The settlement talks emerged just as a San Francisco jury began deliberating a separate shareholder suit focused on Musk’s statements about fake accounts during the $44 billion Twitter buyout.
March 18, 2026
Lloyds Stock Price Stalls as App Glitch Probe Tests Buyback Story
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Lloyds Stock Price Stalls as App Glitch Probe Tests Buyback Story

Lloyds Banking Group held near the flatline at 96.19 pence as of 1449 GMT on Wednesday, trailing both Barclays and NatWest. Investors were sizing up renewed parliamentary attention on Lloyds’ customer-data issue, while broader UK financials looked stronger. Barclays picked up 0.94%, with NatWest ahead 0.65%. Banks actually showed some muscle in London earlier on, climbing 1.9% by 1044 GMT as oil cooled off and investors kept an eye on the Fed and the Bank of England. Lloyds, though, barely budged.
March 18, 2026
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