Technology News 14.03.2026
LIVETechnology news rolling coverageStarted: March 14, 2026, 12:00 AM EDTUpdated: March 14, 2026, 12:20 PM EDT
easyJet Share Price Falls 3% as Oil Above $100 Revives Fuel-Cost Fears
easyJet shares fell 2.99% to 369.4 pence Friday, extending their five-day drop to 9.66% and bringing losses this year to 27.65%. Jet fuel prices have doubled since the Iran conflict began, outpacing oil’s rise and pressuring carriers. easyJet has hedged 84% of first-half 2026 fuel needs. The airline reports first-half results on May 21.
Intertek Share Price Hits 52-Week Low as Investors Look Past New Compliance Service (Investing.com)
Intertek shares closed at 3,734 pence Friday, down 3.86%, after touching a 52-week low. The drop followed ongoing investor concerns over weaker free cash flow, missed growth targets, and no new buyback in March 3 results. Hours before the close, Intertek launched Digital Product Passport services for supply-chain compliance. The FTSE 100 also slipped 0.4% amid flat UK GDP and high energy prices.
TP ICAP Share Price Jumps After Record 2025 Results, £80 Million Buyback and Dividend Rise
TP ICAP shares surged 10.7% after reporting record 2025 results and announcing an £80 million buyback, bucking a 0.9% drop in the FTSE 250. Revenue rose to £2.353 billion and pretax profit reached £230 million. The company maintained its 2026 outlook despite currency headwinds and said a possible minority listing of its Parameta data unit remains under review.
Experian Share Price Slips After ChatGPT Credit Score App Launch as Buyback and Score Battle Stay in Focus
Experian shares fell 0.62% to 2,738 pence Friday after launching a UK-first credit score app inside ChatGPT. The company also began offering VantageScore 4.0 for $0.99 per mortgage score, undercutting FICO. Experian bought back 224,000 shares on March 11 as part of a $1 billion repurchase program. The FTSE 100 closed down 0.4% amid Middle East tensions and flat UK GDP.
Bunzl plc Share Price Climbs 2% in London, but Stock Is Still 26% Off Its High
Bunzl shares rose 2.13% to 2,304 pence Friday, extending a rebound despite the FTSE 100’s decline. The company reported 2025 revenue of £11.85 billion and adjusted operating profit of £910.3 million, but forecast a slightly lower margin for 2026. North America’s profit fell 11.5% last year, though management cited improved second-half performance. Annual dividend edged up 0.3% to 74.1 pence.
Admiral Group Plc Stock Price Climbs After RBC Upgrade Puts Fresh Focus on 2026 Outlook
Admiral Group shares climbed 1.9% to 3,280 pence after RBC Capital Markets upgraded the stock to “outperform” and raised its target price. The move followed Admiral’s record 2025 pre-tax profit of £957.9 million, up 16%, and a shift in capital returns toward buybacks. The FTSE 100 fell 0.43% on the day. Admiral’s board proposed a 90 pence final dividend, payable June 5.
Zegona Communications Plc Share Price Falls 4.4% as Buyback Continues After FiberPass Deal
Zegona Communications shares fell 4.4% to 1,735 pence in London on Friday, despite the company buying back 300,000 shares at an average 1,780.47 pence on March 12. The buybacks follow the completion of the FiberPass deal, which brought in 0.4 billion euros, with half earmarked for buybacks and half for debt reduction. The share count will drop to 229,433,802 after cancellation. Shares remain up about 24% this year.
SSE PLC stock price hits 52-week high after 3,581-MW UK capacity auction win
SSE plc shares hit a 52-week high of 2,757 pence on Friday, closing at 2,730 pence after securing 3,581 MW of capacity in Britain’s 2029/30 power auction. The company is seeking investor backing for a £33 billion grid and renewables expansion, while the FTSE 100 fell 0.4%. SSE’s market value stood at about £32.9 billion. The latest auction results await confirmation from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Autotrader Group PLC share price rises as buyback rolls on after Baillie Gifford stake cut
Autotrader Group shares climbed to 492p Friday despite Baillie Gifford cutting its stake to 4.996%. The rise came as the FTSE 100 slipped 0.43%. The company bought back 769,278 shares Thursday, leaving 825.1 million voting rights. Shares remain 46% below last year’s high, with investors watching for updates on its Deal Builder rollout and April pricing event.
Australia Stock Market Today: ASX 200 Ends Lower as Oil Shock Hits Miners, Fuels RBA Hike Bets
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 closed down 0.14% at 8,617.10 on Friday, led by an 18.8% plunge in Northern Star Resources after a production warning. Miners fell 2.1% while financials gained 1%. Oil-driven inflation fears pushed rate hike bets to 80% for next week’s RBA meeting. Qantas agreed to pay A$105 million to settle a class action over COVID-era flight credits.
Autotrader share price rises 1.5% as buyback continues, Baillie Gifford trims stake
Autotrader Group shares rose 1.5% to 494.8p Friday, outperforming the FTSE 100’s 0.4% drop after Baillie Gifford disclosed its stake fell just below 5% and the company announced a new buyback. The stock remains down 35% over the past year. Autotrader bought back 769,278 shares Thursday, leaving 825.1 million voting rights outstanding. Full-year results are due May 21.
UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 Fall as Oil Above $100 Delays BoE Cut Bets
London’s FTSE 100 fell 0.43% Friday to 10,261.15, marking a second weekly loss as energy prices surged and GDP data showed the UK economy stalled in January. Shell and BP gained, but HSBC dropped 1.2%. Economists expect the Bank of England to hold rates at 3.75% on March 19. The FTSE 100 now sits about 7% below its late February record high.
Schroders Share Price Today: Why the Stock Is Still Below Nuveen’s Offer Ahead of April Vote (Share Prices)
Schroders shares closed at 570.5p Friday after releasing the scheme document for Nuveen’s £9.9 billion takeover, with shareholder votes set for April 16. The stock remains 19.5p below the 590p cash offer and 41.5p below the 612p headline value including permitted dividends. Shares dropped mechanically after going ex-dividend for a 15p payout. BNP Paribas completed syndication of most lender commitments on March 11.
RS Group PLC Share Price Falls 2% as Investors Eye March Update After BPX Deal
RS Group PLC shares dropped 2.1% to 631 pence by Friday afternoon, with no new company data expected until a trading update later in March. The company recently agreed to acquire BPX Group for up to £30 million, aiming to expand in industrial automation. Analyst consensus forecasts 2025/26 revenue at £2.921 billion. Broader UK market sentiment was weak after economic data and energy price concerns.
Diageo Share Price Rebounds Near 52-Week Low as Debt Filing Keeps Turnaround Pressure High
Diageo shares rose 2.1% to 1,467.5 pence in London Friday, remaining near a 52-week low after a new prospectus supplement showed no significant financial changes since December. The filing followed a February guidance cut, dividend reduction, and continuing asset sales under new CEO Dave Lewis.
Pearson PLC stock rises as buyback gains pace after annual report release
Pearson bought back 1,225,869 shares for cancellation on March 12 and issued 398,115 new shares for employee plans on Friday. The stock closed at 988.6 pence, up 0.67%. Pearson also published its audited 2025 annual report and filed its U.S. Form 20-F. The company has repurchased about 7.9 million shares so far under its £350 million buyback plan.
Haleon PLC Stock Price Rises After £500 Million Buyback Starts, but U.S. Demand Risk Lingers
Haleon shares rose 1.26% to 377.7 pence after launching a £500 million buyback, with all repurchased shares to be cancelled. The programme, executed by HSBC, will run until August 19 across three exchanges. Haleon is investing £65 million in a new Shanghai oral-health plant as it seeks growth in China. The buyback follows Pfizer’s final exit from Haleon in March 2025.
Rentokil Initial share price stays near 52-week high after UBS, Jefferies back North America rebound
Rentokil Initial shares hovered near a 52-week high Friday, following a 5.16% surge to 491.4p on Thursday, as brokers upgraded the stock amid signs of recovery in North America. Full-year 2025 results showed revenue up 3.8% to $6.91 billion and adjusted operating profit rising 5.4% to $1.07 billion. New CEO Mike Duffy and a non-executive director bought U.S. shares worth over $495,000 this week.
RELX Share Price Today: Stock Slips Despite Fresh Buyback as AI Fears Linger
RELX shares fell 0.7% to 2,569 pence in late London trading Friday after the company disclosed another share buyback, purchasing 476,272 shares at an average of 2,605.76 pence each. The stock remains well below its 52-week high, as investors question whether buybacks can counter ongoing concerns about AI-driven disruption to RELX’s core businesses.
Standard Chartered Stock Price Slides Again as Middle East Risks Eclipse Buyback
Standard Chartered shares fell further Friday, widening their monthly drop to 13% as Middle East conflict hit bank stocks and crude stayed above $100. The bank told Dubai staff to work remotely after attacks in Gulf cities. J.P. Morgan estimates about 8% of StanChart’s revenue comes from the region. The bank bought back 900,000 shares March 12, bringing buyback spending to $191.5 million.