London, June 12, 2026, 09:15 BST
- Rolls-Royce Holdings plc shares were quoted around 1,314p, up 4.84%, in delayed AJ Bell data.
- The move came as European equities rallied and the FTSE 100 extended a calmer tone after Thursday’s rebound.
- Investors also had fresh company news to digest after Rolls-Royce unveiled a new defence powertrain push ahead of Eurosatory 2026.
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc shares climbed sharply in London trading on Friday, with delayed AJ Bell data showing a sell quote of 1,313.40p and a buy quote of 1,314.00p, up 60.60p, or 4.84%. The stock opened at 1,306.40p, traded as high as 1,318.60p and carried a market capitalisation of about £108.82 billion in the same feed.
The rise built on a steadier session for UK blue chips. Reuters reported that European shares rallied at Friday’s open, with the STOXX 600 up 1.2% as oil prices fell on hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough in the Middle East. A day earlier, London’s FTSE 100 closed 0.5% higher at 10,303.9 points, while MarketWatch reported that Rolls-Royce shares rose 1.56% on Thursday to £12.53.
Company-specific news also kept the aerospace and defence group in view. Rolls-Royce said on June 11 that its Power Systems business is developing the mtu Series 199 into a broader powertrain platform for European land forces, with 6-, 8-, 10- and 12-cylinder versions planned to cover a power range from 260 kW to 1,350 kW. The company said a next-generation hybrid propulsion system for heavy military tracked vehicles will have its world premiere at Eurosatory 2026 in Paris on June 15.
Andreas Görtz, president of the Mobile & Sustainable Business Unit at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, said modern land forces need “powertrains that can do more than just move vehicles.” Rolls-Royce said the 199 series already has more than 4,500 engines delivered and applications in 16 NATO countries, while defence accounts for around a quarter of Rolls-Royce Power Systems revenue. Rolls-Royce
The share move also came against the backdrop of continuing capital returns. A June 10 RNS announcement, carried by Sharecast, said Rolls-Royce had bought ordinary shares through Morgan Stanley as part of a £2.3 billion buyback programme announced on February 26. The company said the purchased shares would be cancelled and that, since the programme began, it had repurchased 67,735,940 shares at a weighted average price of 1,200.21p.
Even after Friday’s rise, the share price remained below AJ Bell’s listed year high of 1,420p but well above its year low of 868p. The company’s investment case remains tied to three main divisions: Civil Aerospace, Power Systems and Defence, with the April trading update showing 2026 guidance unchanged at £4.0 billion to £4.2 billion of underlying operating profit and £3.6 billion to £3.8 billion of free cash flow.
Analyst positioning remains broadly positive, though not one-way. LSEG consensus data carried by Investors Chronicle showed 17 analysts with a median 12-month price target of 1,400p, with three “Buy” ratings, 12 “Outperform” ratings, three “Hold” ratings and one “Sell” rating in the June 4 snapshot. The next scheduled company test is the half-year results on July 30, when investors will look for updates on civil aerospace engine flying hours, defence demand, Power Systems orders and buyback progress. Investors Chronicle
