Finance 9 March 2026 - 10 March 2026

Rightmove plc Shares Slip Despite Fresh Buyback as AI Spending Doubts Linger
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Rightmove plc Shares Slip Despite Fresh Buyback as AI Spending Doubts Linger

Rightmove repurchased 210,000 shares Monday, but shares closed down 2.7% at 453 pence, leaving the stock 45% below its 52-week high. The company kept its 2026 revenue growth forecast at 8–10% but expects profit growth to slow as margins dip during heavier investment. Rightmove remains in the FTSE 100 after review. Analysts are divided on whether AI spending will boost growth or pressure margins.
March 10, 2026
Airtel Africa Plc Buys 80,000 Shares as $100 Million Buyback Nears March 31 Deadline
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Airtel Africa Plc Buys 80,000 Shares as $100 Million Buyback Nears March 31 Deadline

Airtel Africa bought 80,000 shares at an average 345.59 pence each on March 6, part of a $100 million buyback set to run through March 31. The company now has 3.645 billion voting rights outstanding and has repurchased 44.1 million shares under the program. Airtel plans to list its mobile payments unit, Airtel Money, in the first half of 2026. Nine-month revenue to Dec. 31 was $4.667 billion.
March 10, 2026
M&G Plc Shares Slide Ahead of 2025 Results as Dividend and Cash Generation Face Test
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M&G Plc Shares Slide Ahead of 2025 Results as Dividend and Cash Generation Face Test

M&G Plc shares fell 2.1% to 297 pence ahead of Thursday’s full-year 2025 results. Analyst consensus points to a drop in adjusted operating profit to £820 million and weaker operating capital generation at £729 million. Assets under management are forecast to rise to £372 billion, with net outflows improving to £2.1 billion. The ordinary dividend is expected to increase slightly to 20.5 pence per share.
March 10, 2026
Informa Plc presses on with £200 mln share buyback ahead of 2025 results as Gulf risks shadow outlook
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Informa Plc presses on with £200 mln share buyback ahead of 2025 results as Gulf risks shadow outlook

Informa bought 1.363 million shares for cancellation last week as part of a 2026 buyback of at least £200 million, reducing total shares to 1,279,627,119. The company reports 2025 results Thursday and has forecast over £4 billion in 2025 revenue and 6% underlying growth for 2026. Informa is also exploring a sale of its Monaco luxury events assets. JPMorgan has cut 2026 Gulf growth forecasts amid regional tensions.
March 10, 2026
Aviva plc Restarts £350 Million Buyback as Shares Slide — Why Analysts Still See Value
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Aviva plc Restarts £350 Million Buyback as Shares Slide — Why Analysts Still See Value

Aviva bought 20,000 shares for cancellation under its £350 million buyback, but shares closed down 2.58% at 611.2 pence. The company reported a 25% rise in 2025 operating profit to £2.2 billion, boosted by the Direct Line acquisition. Aviva resumed buybacks after pausing for the deal, and proposed a 26.2 pence final dividend. The buyback program started March 6 and runs through August 6.
March 10, 2026
Hiscox Ltd Cancels More Shares as $300 Million Buyback Builds After Record Profit
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Hiscox Ltd Cancels More Shares as $300 Million Buyback Builds After Record Profit

Hiscox bought back 69,849 shares on March 6 at an average 1,459.08 pence each and will cancel them as part of its $300 million buyback. The insurer reported 2025 pre-tax profit rose to a record $732.7 million, with written premiums up 5.9% to $4.98 billion. January renewals saw London Market pricing down 4% and reinsurance down 13%. Hiscox reserved $170 million for California losses earlier this year.
March 10, 2026
Diageo plc Shares Stay Near Lows After Dave Lewis Slashes Dividend and Cuts Forecast
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Diageo plc Shares Stay Near Lows After Dave Lewis Slashes Dividend and Cuts Forecast

Diageo shares closed down 0.29% at 1,521 pence Monday after the company cut its 2026 organic sales forecast and halved its interim dividend to 20 cents a share. The group expects 2026 organic sales to fall 2%-3% and reported a 2.8% drop in first-half organic net sales and profit. CEO Dave Lewis plans to present a new strategy later this year. Net debt stood at $21.7 billion as of Dec. 31.
March 10, 2026
Legal & General Group Plc Shares Slide Ahead of Results as £1.2 Billion Buyback Comes Into Focus
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Legal & General Group Plc Shares Slide Ahead of Results as £1.2 Billion Buyback Comes Into Focus

Legal & General shares fell 1.8% to 249.9 pence ahead of its March 11 full-year results, as investors focus on capital returns following the £1.2 billion U.S. unit sale. The company flagged a potential £1.2 billion buyback for 2026. Analysts say the speed and scale of cash returns remain key. L&G will release results at 0700 GMT Wednesday.
March 10, 2026
Imperial Brands PLC Shares Slip as London Selloff Puts Buyback, Dividend Support to the Test
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Imperial Brands PLC Shares Slip as London Selloff Puts Buyback, Dividend Support to the Test

Imperial Brands shares closed down 0.6% at 3,143 pence Monday, tracking a weaker FTSE 100 as inflation worries hit UK stocks. The company recently bought back 765,594 shares at an average 3,143.08 pence and is mid-way through a £1.45 billion buyback. Its final dividend is due March 31, with a trading update set for April 14. Shares remain near the price at which Imperial has been repurchasing stock.
March 10, 2026
Experian PLC cuts VantageScore 4.0 to 99 cents in fresh challenge to FICO
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Experian PLC cuts VantageScore 4.0 to 99 cents in fresh challenge to FICO

Experian will charge 99 cents for each VantageScore 4.0 mortgage origination score, undercutting Fair Isaac's FICO and matching new prices from Equifax and TransUnion. The move follows FHFA's decision to allow VantageScore 4.0 or Classic FICO for loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Lenders buying both scores through Experian’s bundle will continue to get VantageScore free. Fannie and Freddie have not yet finalized acceptance of VantageScore 4.0.
March 9, 2026
British American Tobacco share buyback update: BAT repurchases stock as 2026 outlook stays cautious
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British American Tobacco share buyback update: BAT repurchases stock as 2026 outlook stays cautious

British American Tobacco bought back 100,227 shares for about £4.31 million on March 6, cancelling them and reducing its share count to 2.17 billion. The company is running a £1.3 billion buyback for 2026 and raised its annual dividend 2% to 245.04 pence. BAT’s Velo nicotine pouch reached No. 2 in U.S. market share, while the group expects 2026 results at the lower end of its guidance.
March 9, 2026
National Grid plc stock back in focus as BofA lifts target after £70 billion plan
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National Grid plc stock back in focus as BofA lifts target after £70 billion plan

Bank of America raised its price target for National Grid to 1,525 pence from 1,300 after the utility lifted its FY27 earnings growth outlook and extended its investment plan to FY31. National Grid shares last traded at 1,332.5 pence in London. The company expects allowed revenue to boost FY27 earnings per share by 13% to 15%. Group assets could reach about 115 billion pounds by FY31.
March 9, 2026
Lloyds Banking Group plc hires Trusha Pillay as £1.75 billion buyback rolls on ahead of July strategy update
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Lloyds Banking Group plc hires Trusha Pillay as £1.75 billion buyback rolls on ahead of July strategy update

Lloyds Banking Group hired Trusha Pillay as managing director in its infrastructure and project finance team, recruiting her from BNP Paribas and MUFG. The bank also bought back 36.9 million shares Monday as part of a £1.75 billion buyback. Lloyds reported 2025 pretax profit of £6.7 billion, up 12%. CEO Charlie Nunn will outline the next strategy phase in July.
March 9, 2026
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc starts £540 million share buyback after Europe warning rattles investors
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Reckitt Benckiser Group plc starts £540 million share buyback after Europe warning rattles investors

Reckitt Benckiser launched a new share buyback of up to £540 million on Monday, with Deutsche Bank handling purchases through July 27. Shares ended down about 2% in London despite the move. The company warned Europe will stay challenging and a weak cold-and-flu season will hurt first-quarter demand. Fourth-quarter sales rose 5.4% overall but fell 4.5% in Europe.
March 9, 2026
Glencore plc weighs ASX listing after Rio Tinto talks collapse
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Glencore plc weighs ASX listing after Rio Tinto talks collapse

Glencore is considering a secondary listing on the Australian Securities Exchange to attract new investors, CEO Gary Nagle told the Australian Financial Review. The move follows failed merger talks with Rio Tinto, which Glencore said undervalued its copper business. No timetable has been set, and shareholder consultation is required before any decision. Glencore declined further comment.
March 9, 2026
RELX PLC extends share buyback after AI selloff, tops 23 million shares in 2026 (Investegate)
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RELX PLC extends share buyback after AI selloff, tops 23 million shares in 2026 (Investegate)

RELX PLC repurchased 500,000 shares Monday for about £13.2 million, bringing 2026 buybacks to 23.23 million shares. The company is executing a £2.25 billion buyback plan amid a sector selloff triggered by new generative AI tools. Treasury shares now total 27.34 million, with 1.801 billion ordinary shares outstanding. UBS AG London Branch is managing the current tranche, set to end March 20.
March 9, 2026
Shell Plc to Sell Jiffy Lube to Monomoy for $1.3 Billion in Latest Portfolio Shake-Up
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Shell Plc to Sell Jiffy Lube to Monomoy for $1.3 Billion in Latest Portfolio Shake-Up

Shell will sell Jiffy Lube International and Premium Velocity Auto to Monomoy Capital Partners for $1.3 billion, with the deal expected to close in the second half of 2026. The sale includes a long-term lubricants supply agreement. Jiffy Lube accounts for about 6.5% of Shell’s lubricants volume in the U.S. and Canada. Shell will retain its Pennzoil, Quaker State, and other lubricant brands in North America.
March 9, 2026
Anglo American Shares Sink After JPMorgan Downgrade as Copper Outlook Darkens
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Anglo American Shares Sink After JPMorgan Downgrade as Copper Outlook Darkens

Anglo American shares fell 3.2% to 3,127 pence after JPMorgan downgraded the miner to “underweight” and London stocks slid on oil-driven selling. JPMorgan cited weaker prospects for copper and iron ore, downgrading Anglo, Antofagasta, and Rio Tinto. Anglo reported a $3.7 billion loss for 2025 after a De Beers write-down, with net debt at $8.6 billion. The company is pursuing a merger with Teck Resources and a De Beers sale.
March 9, 2026
HSBC Holdings Sticks With Gulf Bet Despite Iran Conflict as Markets Slide
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HSBC Holdings Sticks With Gulf Bet Despite Iran Conflict as Markets Slide

HSBC said its confidence in Gulf economies remains unchanged despite the Iran conflict, citing continued long-term promise in the region. The bank’s UAE and Saudi operations have contributed about 5% of group profits annually over five years. Dubai’s main share index fell 2.8% Monday as oil surged 11% on Strait of Hormuz disruption fears. Some rivals have told staff to work from home or delay travel to the region.
March 9, 2026
Nu Holdings stock slips as Nubank’s U.S. push keeps cost fears alive
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Nu Holdings stock slips as Nubank’s U.S. push keeps cost fears alive

Nu Holdings shares fell 0.75% to $14.47 in New York on Monday after an earlier low of $14.12. The drop follows a 50% jump in Q4 net profit and 45% revenue growth, but analysts flagged concerns over costs and credit quality. Nu ended 2025 with 131 million customers and is preparing a U.S. launch, including a stadium naming deal with Inter Miami CF. The company aims to open its U.S. bank within 18 months, pending regulatory approval.
March 9, 2026
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