News 17 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, 8:56 AM EDT Sydney Home Ownership Slides to 1950s Level on Affordability Strain July 16, 2026, 8:41 AM EDT. Sydney’s home ownership rate is now at its lowest since the 1950s, as the affordability crisis pushes more buyers out of reach. Soaring prices are keeping first-time buyers out, and some young families are moving out of the city. KPMG, using rental bonds and Australian Bureau of Statistics numbers, points to the deepening problem. The pressure is mounting for the New South Wales government to push ahead with higher-density
July 16, 2026
Babcock International Group PLC share price today: stock edges up as buyback continues, but a bigger trigger is missing
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Babcock International Group PLC share price today: stock edges up as buyback continues, but a bigger trigger is missing

Babcock International Group finished Tuesday at 1,366 pence, ticking up 0.44% after shedding 1.45% the prior session. The defence contractor kept up its buyback, while London stocks pulled higher—Britain’s FTSE 100 added 0.83%. It’s a minor shift, but not without weight. Babcock has surged 80.7% in the last year, yet the shares haven’t regained that 52-week peak of 1,527p. Now, investors face stiffer rate headwinds, with oil-driven inflation creeping back into the picture.
March 17, 2026
Prudential plc Stock Price Rises Ahead of 2025 Results as Cash-Flow Test Nears
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Prudential plc Stock Price Rises Ahead of 2025 Results as Cash-Flow Test Nears

Prudential plc finished Tuesday’s session in London with shares ticking up 0.46%, landing close to 1,095 pence. The day’s range: 1,076 to 1,104 pence. The announcement lands just hours ahead of Prudential’s full-year 2025 results, set to go live for the media and on its website at 10 p.m. UK time. The timing isn’t trivial. With over $5 billion already earmarked for shareholder returns between 2024 and 2027—$500 million of buybacks set for 2026, another $600 million in 2027—investors will be watching the group’s cash generation at least as carefully as the profit headline.
March 17, 2026
BT Group plc stock price climbs after Ofcom extends Openreach rules and widens price cap
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BT Group plc stock price climbs after Ofcom extends Openreach rules and widens price cap

Shares in BT Group climbed roughly 2.5% to trade near 220 pence Tuesday, following Ofcom's decision to outline the next five years of Openreach regulations and expand the wholesale price cap across more of the network. Timing’s critical here for investors. Openreach powers BT’s fibre rollout, and under the latest rules, retail providers now know what they’ll pay to access those lines over the next five years. After years spent expanding the network, BT finally gets a more predictable regulatory framework—making it easier to assess future returns.
March 17, 2026
Informa Share Price Today: Why the Stock Lagged the FTSE Despite a Bigger Buyback
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Informa Share Price Today: Why the Stock Lagged the FTSE Despite a Bigger Buyback

Informa Plc slipped 0.21% to finish at 759.2 pence on Tuesday, trailing the FTSE 100’s 0.83% climb, as the market mulled new buybacks but kept an eye on potential Middle East turmoil disrupting the company’s 2026 event schedule. That move is drawing notice right now: Informa last week stuck to its 2026 targets and pushed its share buyback up to 250 million pounds, despite announcing it was rescheduling over 10 Middle East brands for later in the year. The tone in markets has darkened, oil climbing above $100 a barrel, and prospects for rate cuts slipping as the war grinds on.
March 17, 2026
Diageo Stock Price Holds Near 52-Week Low as Investors Await Dave Lewis Strategy
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Diageo Stock Price Holds Near 52-Week Low as Investors Await Dave Lewis Strategy

Diageo shares in London barely budged Tuesday, ending up just 0.07% at 1,450 pence—only a shade above their 12-month low of 1,420.5p. Over in New York, the group's U.S.-listed stock stood at $77.00 as of 1910 UTC. Why does it matter? Last month, Lewis’s first results call shifted the outlook for investors. Diageo slashed its 2026 organic sales target—now guiding for a 2%-3% drop, excluding currency and acquisitions—cut the interim dividend in half to 20 cents, and promised a more detailed strategy update later this year. Lewis pointed to “significant opportunities” for cranking up competitiveness, drilling in on “customer, customer, customer” right out of the gate.
March 17, 2026
Haleon PLC Stock Price Rises After Buyback Launch and Berenberg Target Hike
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Haleon PLC Stock Price Rises After Buyback Launch and Berenberg Target Hike

Haleon climbed on Tuesday, London shares finishing roughly 2.4% higher while the U.S. stock added about 1.5% to $10.62 as of 19:04 UTC. The move followed Berenberg’s target price bump and news that the company had started buying back shares under its fresh £500 million program. This is significant for Haleon, still working to recover after its February 25 forecast for 2026 organic revenue growth landed at 3% to 5%. That’s not just under analysts’ 4.4% consensus estimate—it’s also below the company’s own medium-term target. Organic revenue, importantly, excludes currency moves and the impacts of recent acquisitions or disposals.
March 17, 2026
Standard Chartered PLC Stock Price Jumps 3.5% as Buyback Advances, Middle East Risks Linger
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Standard Chartered PLC Stock Price Jumps 3.5% as Buyback Advances, Middle East Risks Linger

Standard Chartered finished Tuesday up 3.45% at £16.04, beating the FTSE 100 after banks pulled the index higher ahead of the Bank of England’s upcoming rate call. The FTSE advanced 0.83%. Banks were the strongest sector on the day. Standard Chartered’s rebound is drawing attention, given the bank’s heavy scrutiny amid the Middle East turmoil and ongoing Strait of Hormuz disruptions. Oil prices punched back above $100 a barrel, complicating the picture for possible rate cuts. J.P. Morgan flagged Standard Chartered and HSBC as the two big European lenders with the most exposure to the region just last week. UK bank shares dropped 4.8% on March 12 as inflation jitters intensified.
March 17, 2026
Lloyds Banking Group Stock Price Climbs Despite Glitch Scrutiny as Rate Bets Lift Shares
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Lloyds Banking Group Stock Price Climbs Despite Glitch Scrutiny as Rate Bets Lift Shares

Lloyds Banking Group shares climbed 1.37% to 96.20 pence on Tuesday, brushing past renewed scrutiny by British lawmakers after last week's app glitch. The stock joined gains across UK banks as investors looked ahead to the Bank of England meeting this week. This shift is catching attention—Lloyds remains a bellwether for how traders gauge the UK rate trajectory. On Tuesday, J.P. Morgan deferred its forecast for the next BoE rate cut out to the first quarter of 2027, pushing the market’s focus firmly onto higher-for-longer rates, not the bank’s recent operational stumble.
March 17, 2026
BAE Systems Stock Price Holds Near Record High After New U.S. Air Force Contract
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BAE Systems Stock Price Holds Near Record High After New U.S. Air Force Contract

Shares of BAE Systems ticked up 0.4% to around 2,331 pence on Tuesday, brushing a session high near 2,346 pence. The British defense group announced new U.S. Air Force work and hovered close to all-time highs. The stock stayed resilient as Reuters flagged a broader slip in European defence names. Resilience stands out, given BAE shares had already more than tripled since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 by the time results landed last month. In those numbers, BAE reported a record order backlog of 83.6 billion pounds—projects signed but not yet fulfilled—and guided for 2026 sales growth between 7% and 9%. Operating profit is set to increase 9% to 11%.
March 17, 2026
LSEG Share Price Today: London Stock Exchange Group Stock Rises as Buyback Builds Ahead of AGM
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LSEG Share Price Today: London Stock Exchange Group Stock Rises as Buyback Builds Ahead of AGM

Shares in London Stock Exchange Group edged higher Tuesday, trading at 8,846 pence on the bid and 8,848 pence on the offer as of 1625 GMT. The lift followed news of another round of stock purchases tied to the £3 billion buyback unveiled last month. LSEG was up around 1% for the session. The FTSE 100 also advanced. The daily repurchase updates are closely watched, offering investors a pulse on just how forcefully LSEG is deploying its buyback program—management’s main lever as shares slide, Elliott Management ramps up activist pressure, and debates swirl over generative AI’s threat to its data business. LSEG also released its AGM notice on Tuesday, confirming an April 23 shareholder meeting. That sets the stage for
March 17, 2026
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA Stock Price: IAG Shares Rise on EU Jet Fuel Rules Challenge
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International Consolidated Airlines Group SA Stock Price: IAG Shares Rise on EU Jet Fuel Rules Challenge

Shares in International Consolidated Airlines Group SA picked up 0.9% to 355.65 pence as of 1619 GMT, just ahead of London's close. Investors were digesting a Reuters story that British Airways parent IAG, along with other major European carriers, was getting ready to contest EU synthetic jet fuel regulations. Air France-KLM and Lufthansa also saw gains. Ryanair slipped. Despite today’s uptick, IAG remained 5.5% lower over the past five sessions. Costs have muscled their way back into the spotlight for airlines, making the policy debate especially urgent. British Airways on Monday moved to prolong its temporary flight reductions across the Middle East. Meanwhile, Brent crude climbed past $101 a barrel on Tuesday, with the Iran war still squeezing supply routes.
March 17, 2026
Rolls-Royce Share Price Today: Why the Stock Rose on UltraFan Funding and Atlas Air Order
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Rolls-Royce Share Price Today: Why the Stock Rose on UltraFan Funding and Atlas Air Order

Shares in Rolls-Royce Holdings tacked on about 1.6% in delayed London action Tuesday after the company announced it landed 64 million euros in European Union funding via the Clean Aviation programme. The funds are earmarked for the UltraFan 30 demonstrator, Rolls-Royce’s next-gen engine effort targeting the single-aisle jet market. Delayed quotes put the shares near 1,250 pence, a move up from 1,230 pence at Monday’s close. The funding plays a key role as UltraFan anchors Rolls-Royce’s effort to re-enter the single-aisle jet market—a segment the company calls vital for aviation’s future growth. Last month, Reuters flagged Rolls-Royce’s request for UK support on what could become a 3 billion-pound project. Back in February, the company raised its outlook and announced a
March 17, 2026
Barclays PLC Share Price Today: Stock Climbs as BoE Rate-Cut Bets Fade
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Barclays PLC Share Price Today: Stock Climbs as BoE Rate-Cut Bets Fade

Barclays PLC shares pushed higher Tuesday, climbing 1.97% to 395.8 pence by 1502 GMT. Investors dialed back bets on imminent Bank of England rate cuts and rotated into UK banking names ahead of a busy stretch for central banks. The move put Barclays in line with the broader UK banks sector while outpacing the FTSE 100’s 1.11% advance. This isn’t just about Barclays’ UK footprint. The bank operates an investment arm and a U.S. consumer division on top of its British retail business, exposing the shares to moves in both global markets and shifts in British rate expectations.
March 17, 2026
National Grid Share Price Today: Stock Holds Near Highs as UBS Sell Call Challenges £70 Billion Plan
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National Grid Share Price Today: Stock Holds Near Highs as UBS Sell Call Challenges £70 Billion Plan

National Grid clawed back some ground in London on Tuesday, with shares up 0.5% at 1,362.75 pence by 1455 GMT, recovering a slice of Monday’s 1.27% slide. Investors faced a tug-of-war between a new UBS sell rating and the British utility’s expanded growth ambitions. National Grid stands out among London utilities this year. The stock has climbed roughly 19.5% since Jan. 1, after the company extended its framework to FY31 on March 2, mapping out a minimum of £70 billion in cumulative investment. Management also projected FY27 adjusted earnings per share would be up 13%-15%.
March 17, 2026
HSBC Holdings Plc Stock Price Today: Shares Rise on Report of $1 Billion AT1 Sale
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HSBC Holdings Plc Stock Price Today: Shares Rise on Report of $1 Billion AT1 Sale

HSBC Holdings Plc’s New York shares climbed 1.3% to $81.38 on Tuesday, following a Bloomberg News report that the bank is looking to raise at least $1 billion in additional tier 1, or AT1, dollar bonds. These AT1 notes, considered the most junior rung of bank capital, are intended to take losses if the lender faces financial stress. This is notable: HSBC has effectively become a barometer for Gulf-related risk. Last week, JPMorgan flagged HSBC and Standard Chartered as the top European banks with Middle East exposure. For HSBC specifically, regional lending stands at approximately $23 billion, making up near 2% of its overall loan book.
March 17, 2026
Imperial Brands Stock Slips After Major Investor Cuts Stake Below 5% Ahead of Dividend
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Imperial Brands Stock Slips After Major Investor Cuts Stake Below 5% Ahead of Dividend

Imperial Brands slipped 0.4% to 3,240 pence as of 1241 GMT Tuesday, following a UK filing that revealed Spring Mountain Investments Ltd trimmed its stake in the tobacco company beneath the 5% threshold. The latest disclosure put Spring Mountain’s voting rights at 4.79779%, down from 5.857089%. The calendar's loaded: Imperial moves closer to its March 31 final dividend, with a trading update set for April 14. HL data shows a trailing yield a hair below 5%. With those milestones approaching, any changes in major shareholders stand out more than usual.
March 17, 2026
Glencore Stock Price Nears 530p as Cobalt Crunch Puts Supply Back in Focus

Glencore Stock Price Nears 530p as Cobalt Crunch Puts Supply Back in Focus

By 13:30 GMT Tuesday, Glencore's in-house share-price tracker pegged the London stock at 527.3 pence—an 11.3 pence gain for the day. Traders responded to a Reuters story suggesting the miner sourced metal from China's Wuxi exchange to fulfill supply promises. The stock's edged up, now hovering just shy of 530p—right where Glencore landed at its 2011 IPO, a level management tracks with particular interest. Cobalt, a crucial battery metal for the group, finds itself in a much tighter market this year compared to last.
March 17, 2026
BP Stock Price Climbs as Oil Reclaims $100, Putting Buyback Pause Back in Focus
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BP Stock Price Climbs as Oil Reclaims $100, Putting Buyback Pause Back in Focus

BP shares climbed over 1% in London on Tuesday. Its U.S.-traded stock added almost $1 to reach $43.90 at 13:51 UTC, after new Iranian strikes on the United Arab Emirates sent Brent crude surging past $100 a barrel. That pop pulled BP squarely into the broader rally in European energy names. BP’s situation has changed: after halting its $750 million quarterly buyback last month, the company is channeling cash toward trimming debt and ramping up its oil and gas focus. Shell and Exxon, by contrast, didn’t break stride on buybacks, which leaves BP more exposed when oil prices slip—yet gives the company extra room to run when crude rallies.
March 17, 2026
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