London, Feb 15, 2026, 11:20 GMT — Market closed.
National Grid (NG.L) finished Friday’s session with a 1% gain at 1,366 pence, right after hitting a 12-month peak of 1,366.5 pence. The FTSE 100 utility now carries a market cap close to 67.9 billion pounds. (London South East)
Why now? National Grid’s stock has lately been moving on interest rate speculation, rather than company-specific news. Regulated utilities like this one tend to get lumped in with “bond proxies”—investors eye their dividends versus government yields.
That connection stands out heading into a week when inflation data could once more shake up the outlook for rate cuts. Even a minor shift in yields packs a punch for dividend stocks, particularly with few new catalysts from companies to drive action.
U.S. consumer prices edged up 0.2% in January, with annual inflation easing to 2.4%—a notch under the 0.3% increase economists had penciled in, according to Reuters on Friday. “Price pressures remain a little too hot for comfort,” said James McCann, senior economist at Edward Jones. Lydia Boussour of EY-Parthenon flagged that inflation might stay “somewhat sticky” through the first half. (Reuters)
Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill sounded a note of caution in Britain, pointing out that rates remain “a little bit too low” while underlying inflation hovers near 2.5%—still above the BoE’s 2% goal. “Holding at this level and being cautious will be enough,” Pill said. The BoE voted narrowly, 5-4, last week to maintain the Bank Rate at 3.75%. (Reuters)
Traders are eyeing the UK inflation data set for release by the Office for National Statistics, which will publish January’s consumer price figures at 7:00am on Feb. 18. (Office for National Statistics)
National Grid runs the high-voltage electricity transmission grid in England and Wales, and manages the gas transmission network throughout Great Britain. The company has regulated network assets in the northeastern United States as well.
Looking ahead, National Grid’s next big date is May 14, when the company plans to release its full-year results, as listed on its investor calendar. (National Grid)
All eyes on rates Monday—they’ll set the tone for dividend-heavy names. Utilities, for one, usually take a hit as yields climb and pick up bids if yields drop, regardless of what’s happening with the actual business.
Still, there’s an obvious risk here. If UK inflation comes in hotter, bets on a prolonged BoE hold could gather steam—yields move higher, and that could sap demand for yield-sensitive names such as National Grid.
