London, Feb 23, 2026, 07:50 GMT — Premarket
- GSK said it bought back 467,000 shares on Feb. 20 at an average 2,223.53 pence per share.
- The stock last closed at 2,213.00 pence, down 0.58% on the day.
- Investors are watching the pace of repurchases and the next quarterly results on April 29.
GSK shares were in focus ahead of the London open on Monday after the drugmaker disclosed another round of share repurchases under its buyback programme. GSK said it purchased 467,000 ordinary shares on Feb. 20 at prices ranging from 2,200.00 pence to 2,242.00 pence, for a volume-weighted average price of 2,223.53 pence. (TradingView)
The update matters now because the buyback is one of the few fresh company signals for traders heading into the week. Buybacks reduce the share count over time and can support earnings per share, though they rarely drive sentiment on their own.
GSK ended Friday at 2,213.00 pence, down 0.58% on the session, after trading between 2,200.00 pence and 2,243.00 pence, data on its recent trading showed. (Investing.com UK)
The repurchases sit inside a wider £2 billion buyback plan that GSK has said runs through the end of the second quarter of 2026. In a Feb. 17 filing, the company said its fourth tranche is worth up to £0.45 billion and is expected to run through April 24, with BNP Paribas making trading decisions independently within preset limits. (SEC)
In New York, GSK’s U.S.-listed ADRs closed at $59.52 on Friday, down 2.19%, leaving U.S. investors coming into Monday with a weaker reference point than London’s last close. (StockAnalysis)
The stock is also coming off its latest dividend mark. GSK’s last quarterly payout (Q4 2025) went ex-dividend on Feb. 19 for ordinary shares, with payment due on April 9, according to the company’s dividend calendar. (GSK)
Still, buybacks and dividends do not settle the bigger question hanging over the stock: how fast GSK can replace revenue from products facing patent expiry and keep growth on track as pricing and vaccine demand remain moving targets. Earlier this month, CEO Luke Miels told Reuters, “We need to accelerate what we have and to add to it via smart business development,” as the company mapped out a growth plan that includes bolt-on deals and a push to speed up R&D. (Reuters)
A downside scenario for holders is simple: if investors decide the pipeline and deal flow won’t close the post-patent gap quickly enough, the buyback can look like a patch rather than a floor. The trade also leaves GSK exposed to broader healthcare moves and policy headlines that can hit the sector without warning.
For the week ahead, traders are likely to track buyback disclosures for clues on pace and price discipline, and watch whether the stock holds above recent support after Friday’s dip. Any wider swing in U.K. equities would likely show up quickly in a FTSE heavyweight like GSK.
The next fixed date on GSK’s company calendar is its first-quarter results on Wednesday, April 29. (GSK)
