News 13 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, 11:17 AM EDT FTSE Russell to Keep 4 7/8% Treasury Gilt 2036 in UK Gilt Indices, Ups Nominal Value July 16, 2026, 11:17 AM EDT. FTSE Russell is keeping the 4 7/8% Treasury Gilt 2036 in several UK conventional gilt indices, raising its nominal value from £24.312 billion to £28.833 billion. The change, coming after the UK Debt Management Office’s post-auction facility, takes effect from 17 July 2026. The gilt will stay in major indices such as the FTSE Actuaries UK Conventional Gilts 5 – 15 years and
July 16, 2026
Haleon PLC Stock Price Rises After £500 Million Buyback Starts, but U.S. Demand Risk Lingers
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Haleon PLC Stock Price Rises After £500 Million Buyback Starts, but U.S. Demand Risk Lingers

Haleon gained Friday, the stock adding 1.26% to reach 377.7 pence as of 1338 UTC. The move came after the consumer health company launched a £500 million buyback, with plans to cancel the repurchased shares. The move is significant for Haleon, which has been clawing its way back after a steep drop triggered by its February guidance. On Feb. 25, Haleon projected organic revenue growth for 2026 at 3% to 5%—excluding currency impacts and M&A—with shares sliding up to 6% as sluggish U.S. demand hit sentiment.
March 13, 2026
Rentokil Initial share price stays near 52-week high after UBS, Jefferies back North America rebound
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Rentokil Initial share price stays near 52-week high after UBS, Jefferies back North America rebound

Rentokil Initial hovered just below its 52-week high through Friday, after surging 5.16% to 491.4 pence during Thursday’s session. Brokers are leaning in, convinced that North American operations are gaining traction. Friday’s range: 479.2p to 490.7p, still a hair off the 12-month peak at 493.9p, according to market data. North America is still Rentokil’s top market—and since the 2022 Terminix deal, that’s where investor attention sits. The leadership baton passes Monday to Mike Duffy, who joins as chief executive after a stint at OnTrac, with the company looking to convert its uneven U.S. rebound into more reliable gains.
March 13, 2026
RELX Share Price Today: Stock Slips Despite Fresh Buyback as AI Fears Linger
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RELX Share Price Today: Stock Slips Despite Fresh Buyback as AI Fears Linger

RELX shares edged lower late Friday in London, with the British data and analytics group announcing yet another share repurchase. Still, investors kept their eyes on the bigger question: can buybacks really counteract the ongoing worries over AI-driven disruption? Shares last changed hands at around 2,569 pence, down about 0.7% on the day. Why does this matter? RELX is still dealing with shaken confidence after a steep drop in February, fueled by worries that new AI tools might eat into demand for its legal, scientific, and risk-information services. Shares have bounced since touching a 1,991-pence low, but they're nowhere close to the 52-week peak of 4,183 pence.
March 13, 2026
Standard Chartered Stock Price Slides Again as Middle East Risks Eclipse Buyback

Standard Chartered Stock Price Slides Again as Middle East Risks Eclipse Buyback

Standard Chartered shares struggled again Friday. Reuters market data pegged the stock’s monthly slide at roughly 13%, deepening as turmoil in the Middle East rattled bank stocks and crude prices stuck above $100 a barrel. European banks lagged the most among sectors, shedding 1.9%, with Standard Chartered and HSBC both weighing on the index. Here's the upshot: J.P. Morgan points to Standard Chartered and HSBC as the two big European banks with the largest exposure in the Middle East. The firm figures the region makes up roughly 8% of StanChart’s revenue, and a heftier 12% of its profit before tax. Barclays and BNP Paribas? Both see less than 1% of their revenue and profit coming from the Middle East.
March 13, 2026
Centrica stock price today: shares near 52-week high as UK gas shock boosts energy security play
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Centrica stock price today: shares near 52-week high as UK gas shock boosts energy security play

By 15:47 London time, Centrica was trading around 207.86 pence—up roughly 0.5% and sticking close to its 52-week high. Shares earlier hit 210 pence, extending Thursday’s sharp 3.09% gain that saw the stock close at 206.8 pence and break above its prior one-year top. This shift has real weight right now. Britain’s energy crunch is deepening, not easing. Reuters flagged a more than 60% jump in wholesale gas prices over the last two weeks, while Cornwall Insight expects Ofgem’s July price cap — the ceiling for what suppliers can bill households on default deals — to rise to 1,827 pounds, up from 1,641 pounds in April. Gas-fired plants still deliver about 30% of UK electricity, and over 70% of homes
March 13, 2026
Persimmon Plc Share Price Steadies After Selloff as Iran Conflict Risks Hit UK Builders
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Persimmon Plc Share Price Steadies After Selloff as Iran Conflict Risks Hit UK Builders

Persimmon Plc held at 1,188.78 pence on the London market as of 3:38 p.m. GMT Friday, following a 6.31% slide the day before. Traders sifted through a new warning from UK housebuilders, who flagged risks that the Iran conflict may prolong elevated energy prices and mortgage rates. This hits housebuilders hard; their sensitivity to financing costs is higher than most. Oil’s rebound has stoked inflation worries, sent swap rates — the key wholesale benchmarks that drive fixed mortgage rates — higher, and dashed early bets on a Bank of England rate cut. All of this just as the industry was trying to pull out of a demand slump.
March 13, 2026
IAG Share Price Today: International Consolidated Airlines Group SA Slips on Iberia Cuts and Fuel Fears
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IAG Share Price Today: International Consolidated Airlines Group SA Slips on Iberia Cuts and Fuel Fears

International Consolidated Airlines Group, the parent of British Airways, dropped further on Friday, trading near 356 pence in London. Investors weighed Iberia’s move to lay off as many as 996 staff, alongside new evidence that turbulence from the Middle East is hitting travel demand far outside the Gulf. This is notable—heading into March, IAG stood out among European airlines as a recovery play. Last month, the group posted record operating profit for 2025 and unveiled a 1.5 billion euro plan to return cash to shareholders. That includes a 500 million euro buyback. CEO Luis Gallego pointed to a “rebound” in transatlantic demand since the third quarter.
March 13, 2026
Halma plc stock slips after trading update keeps 23-year record-profit run on track
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Halma plc stock slips after trading update keeps 23-year record-profit run on track

Shares in Halma plc dropped 1.3% to 3,898 pence as of 1512 GMT on Friday, following the FTSE 100 safety and sensor company’s decision to stick with its existing full-year guidance. Halma said it’s still on course to achieve the higher fiscal 2026 targets announced with its half-year results, but stopped short of another upgrade. The tepid reaction stands out, given Halma ranks among London’s more expensive industrial stocks. Shares have climbed 49.55% in the past year, Hargreaves Lansdown data show, and they currently fetch 41.9 times earnings—a valuation that doesn’t offer much slack for just meeting expectations.
March 13, 2026
BAE Systems Stock Price Nears 52-Week High as Defence Rally Defies FTSE Selloff

BAE Systems Stock Price Nears 52-Week High as Defence Rally Defies FTSE Selloff

Shares of BAE Systems plc edged up roughly 0.3% to 2,306 pence in Friday’s late London action, building on Thursday’s 3.14% jump to 2,298 pence. That move kept the stock around record territory, even as the FTSE 100 slipped 0.3%. BAE stands out in London as a top pick for those banking on rising defense budgets. While oil surged past $100 a barrel and inflation fears were tempering expectations for looser policy, BAE’s shares stayed resilient, giving the company a market cap close to £67.2 billion.
March 13, 2026
British American Tobacco Stock Price Rises as Buyback Rolls On Despite U.S. Vape Setback
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British American Tobacco Stock Price Rises as Buyback Rolls On Despite U.S. Vape Setback

British American Tobacco p.l.c. was changing hands near 4,515 pence at 1442 GMT Friday, picking up roughly 1.5% for the session and adding about 5.3% across the last five days. Still, shares have yet to revisit their 52-week high of 4,876.92 pence. This shift lands as the company signals a weaker outlook. BAT, just last month, stuck by its 2026 guidance but warned that revenue, adjusted operating profit, and adjusted diluted EPS — its cleaned-up per-share earnings figure — are all tracking toward the bottom edge of its mid-term range.
March 13, 2026
Reckitt Benckiser Share Price Today: Stock Ticks Up After Fresh Buyback, but Margin Doubts Linger
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Reckitt Benckiser Share Price Today: Stock Ticks Up After Fresh Buyback, but Margin Doubts Linger

Reckitt Benckiser ticked up on Friday, lifted by news of a 140,000-share buyback executed on March 12—part of a fresh £540 million tranche kicked off earlier this week. By 14:42 GMT, the shares sat at 5,325 pence, marking a 0.17% gain for the session, according to Cboe Europe estimates. Timing here isn’t just a detail. The buyback comes just days after Reckitt’s full-year numbers triggered a slide of over 6%—the steepest one-day drop for the stock in nearly a year. Investors zeroed in on uncertain margin and EPS prospects for 2026, brushing aside robust emerging-market sales.
March 13, 2026
NatWest Group Plc stock price slides as oil shock upends UK rate-cut bets
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NatWest Group Plc stock price slides as oil shock upends UK rate-cut bets

NatWest Group Plc slid 2.55% to finish at 573 pence on Thursday, weighed down as rising oil prices shook UK banks and put rate-cut bets back in doubt. The FTSE 100 slipped 0.3% as trading got underway Friday, with London’s market still struggling by 1058 GMT. NatWest started the week in a solid spot—profit targets raised, a £750 million buyback on the table, and stepping harder into wealth management. It’s a strong story among UK banks. But with oil prices elevated, inflation still sticky, and the BoE possibly holding off on rate cuts, those positives face a tougher test.
March 13, 2026
Unilever Stock Price Steady as Annual Report Repeats Cautious 2026 Sales Outlook

Unilever Stock Price Steady as Annual Report Repeats Cautious 2026 Sales Outlook

Shares of Unilever Plc barely budged on Friday. The company, known for Dove soap, submitted its 2025 annual report and Form 20-F for U.S. investors, reiterating its cautious sales outlook for 2026. Earlier Friday, delayed data put the stock down 0.1% at 4,821.5 pence, compared to Thursday’s 4,827.5 pence close. The filing is key because CEO Fernando Fernandez still needs to prove a slimmed-down Unilever can accelerate growth after offloading its Magnum ice cream division in December. Back in February, shares slid over 3% when Unilever flagged that 2026 growth would hit the lower end of its 4%-6% target. RBC’s James Edwardes Jones acknowledged glimpses of improvement but cautioned “it will take time.” Quilter Cheviot’s Chris Beckett pointed out that
March 13, 2026
Rio Tinto plc Stock Price Slips as Glencore Deal Hopes Return, Kennecott Shutdown Adds Fresh Risk
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Rio Tinto plc Stock Price Slips as Glencore Deal Hopes Return, Kennecott Shutdown Adds Fresh Risk

Rio Tinto stock dipped in London, down about 0.7% near 6,800 pence by 10:50 GMT on Friday. Glencore circling for renewed merger talks added another layer of uncertainty, while Rio’s Kennecott copper mine halted operations after a worker fatality. Right now, Rio shares are being pulled by two forces: anticipation over a possible deal and jitters about operational risks. Glencore’s side argues that stronger coal prices give them more leverage, but under the UK Takeover Code—which triggers a six-month standstill after talks break down—Rio won’t be able to restart official discussions until August.
March 13, 2026
Lloyds Banking Group plc share price today: Why Lloyds stock is stuck below £1
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Lloyds Banking Group plc share price today: Why Lloyds stock is stuck below £1

Lloyds Banking Group shares picked up 0.3% to 95.76 pence Friday, still trading under 1 pound and far from their 52-week peak of 114.60 pence. That modest gain barely dented the gloom after the stock’s steep pullback from its earlier highs this year. Lloyds stands out here—it's Britain’s top mortgage lender, so shifts in home-loan appetite or rate outlooks hit it harder than most. Thursday saw the UK bank index slide 4.8%, Reuters noted, as oil prices pushed back toward $100 per barrel. That spike reignited inflation nerves and erased hopes for an imminent Bank of England rate cut.
March 13, 2026
Vodafone Share Price Today: Stock Rises as Buyback Continues, Germany in Focus
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Vodafone Share Price Today: Stock Rises as Buyback Continues, Germany in Focus

Vodafone shares jumped in London on Friday, lifted by news of fresh share buybacks from the telecom group. By about 13:30 local time, market data pegged the stock at 110.70 pence—climbing from Thursday’s finish at 107.80 pence. Vodafone remains nearly 8.5% shy of its Feb. 18 high at 120.95 pence, despite notching a 45% gain over the last year. For investors, the calculation now is whether buybacks, proceeds from asset sales, and the UK merger are enough to counter persistent doubts over Germany, which is still the group’s largest market.
March 13, 2026
London Stock Exchange Group plc share price rises as fresh buyback puts LSEG back in focus
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London Stock Exchange Group plc share price rises as fresh buyback puts LSEG back in focus

London Stock Exchange Group plc shares climbed 1.6% to 8,722 pence Friday, following Thursday’s annual report and a pre-market update on buybacks. The latest RNS shows LSEG scooped up 350,220 shares on March 12, with cancellation planned. LSEG’s confidence game isn’t over yet. After activist Elliott Management’s entry and renewed questions swirling about generative AI’s impact on its data operations, the firm is still trying to recover. The shares climbed Friday, but even so, they remain about 27% off that 52-week peak of 11,895 pence.
March 13, 2026
Barclays Share Price Falls Again as Oil Shock Delays Bank of England Rate Cuts
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Barclays Share Price Falls Again as Oil Shock Delays Bank of England Rate Cuts

Barclays dropped another 1.7% to 382.75 pence by 0918 UTC on Friday, deepening Thursday’s 5.1% loss. UK bank shares took a hit as January growth data showed the economy flatlining, while brokers delayed their bets on Bank of England rate cuts. This is a key point for Barclays, which just finished an attempt to recast its equity narrative. Back on Feb. 10, the lender bumped up its targets, after reporting pretax profit for 2025 at 9.1 billion pounds, and announced plans to hand more than 15 billion pounds to shareholders over 2026 to 2028.
March 13, 2026
Rolls-Royce Stock Price Today: Shares Slip Despite Moody’s A3 Upgrade and £7bn-£9bn Buyback Plan
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Rolls-Royce Stock Price Today: Shares Slip Despite Moody’s A3 Upgrade and £7bn-£9bn Buyback Plan

Shares of Rolls-Royce edged down 1.83% to roughly 1,260 pence as of 1303 GMT on Friday, shrugging off a fresh Moody’s upgrade to A3 from Baa1—a step up for the British engine maker’s credit standing. This comes just two weeks after Rolls-Royce’s annual results pushed the stock to fresh highs. But the slower trading hints investors are looking for more than a turnaround stamp—they’re waiting for a new catalyst.
March 13, 2026
HSBC Holdings Plc stock price slides again as Middle East conflict and ex-dividend hit shares
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HSBC Holdings Plc stock price slides again as Middle East conflict and ex-dividend hit shares

HSBC shares dropped for a second straight day on Friday, falling about 1% by 1058 GMT as investors continued to shun lenders with heavy exposure to the Gulf. The stock had already shed over 5% on Thursday. Standard Chartered slipped as well. HSBC is suddenly standing in for Gulf risk—at least in investors’ eyes—despite beating forecasts on annual profit just weeks back. Both a Reuters analysis and Thursday’s JPMorgan note flag HSBC and Standard Chartered as the European banks with the most exposure to the conflict. HSBC shares have slipped 14% since the Feb. 28 strikes on Iran.
March 13, 2026
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