London, Feb 12, 2026, 09:09 GMT — Regular session
- SSE shares slipped, pulling back after hitting fresh highs in the prior two sessions.
- Capital Group has pushed its voting rights stake past 5%, according to a filing.
- Next up: the April 2 update, with full-year results set for May 28.
SSE (SSE.L) slipped roughly 0.2% to 2,631 pence by 0909 GMT on Thursday, pulling back from a fresh 52-week peak of 2,643 pence hit earlier, as the market weighed a new major-shareholder filing. The shares had finished at a record the previous session. 1
It’s notable, given SSE’s recent streak. Shares jumped 3.37% Wednesday to close at 26.36 pounds, building on Tuesday’s 2.04% gain. Not for the first time, they logged a fresh 52-week high as the FTSE 100 kept climbing. 2
A fresh major-holdings disclosure gave the rally more fuel. The Capital Group Companies, Inc. bumped its position to 5.071021% of SSE’s voting rights, totaling roughly 61.47 million shares, after breaching the threshold on Feb. 9, according to the filing. 3
These kinds of threshold filings usually don’t raise eyebrows, but when a stock’s already notching new highs, they can take on a different weight. They sometimes point to strong institutional appetite—even without any major earnings news in play.
SSE disclosed minor stock buys under its employee Share Incentive Plan, with Chief Executive Martin Pibworth and several top managers among those picking up shares at around 25.106884 pounds each on Feb. 6, according to an RNS filing. 4
Investors are piling into the UK grid build-out story, drawn by the promise of stable, inflation-linked returns from regulated networks. Utilities have another factor at play: lower bond yields can make dividend stocks appealing.
SSE last week projected adjusted earnings per share between 144 and 152 pence for the year ending March 2026, down from 160.9 pence the previous year. The company flagged network upgrade costs as a headwind, despite its ongoing push into infrastructure investment. 5
SSE reported Feb. 4 that networks investment jumped 64% in the first nine months compared to the previous year, with renewables output climbing 7%. Still, the company cautioned that its full-year outlook remains vulnerable to shifts in weather and market swings. “Our focus has been on accelerating investment and delivering the plan,” Chief Financial Officer Barry O’Regan said. 6
But bulls face a tough reality: after such a fast climb, surprises are in short supply. Should delivery stumble—be it unfavorable weather denting wind output, tighter financing, or harsher regulatory economics—there isn’t much cushion. With valuations stretched, setbacks can hit hard and fast.
Key dates are just ahead. SSE’s schedule lists a “notification of closed period” on April 2, while it’s set to release preliminary results for the year ending March 31 on May 28 — the main update on earnings, cash flow, and progress on its investment plan. 7
