Today: 8 March 2026
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Shan Ahmed Khan

As a journalist focused on finance and the stock market, he delivers fast, reliable, and easy-to-understand coverage of market news.

Moderna stock (MRNA) steadies in premarket after 16% surge on Merck cancer-vaccine data

Moderna stock (MRNA) steadies in premarket after 16% surge on Merck cancer-vaccine data

Moderna shares held steady at $49.81 premarket Thursday after surging 15.8% on five-year melanoma data for its cancer vaccine with Merck. The vaccine-Keytruda combo cut recurrence or death risk by 49% versus Keytruda alone. U.S. vaccine-policy uncertainty is adding risk for the sector. Investors await Moderna’s Feb. 13 earnings call for updates on oncology data and 2026 sales.
22 January 2026
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Diageo share price climbs in London as Barclays, Jefferies stick with Buy calls ahead of Feb 25 results

Diageo share price climbs in London as Barclays, Jefferies stick with Buy calls ahead of Feb 25 results

Diageo shares rose 0.5% in early London trading Thursday after a 2.6% gain the previous day, though the stock remains down 31% over the past year. The company reaffirmed its 2026 outlook, expecting flat or slightly lower organic net sales and low-to-mid single-digit profit growth. United Spirits, Diageo’s Indian arm, reported a 12% profit jump on strong premium sales. Interim results are due Feb. 25.
22 January 2026
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LSEG share price dips in early London trade after fresh buyback update — here’s what investors are watching

LSEG share price dips in early London trade after fresh buyback update — here’s what investors are watching

London Stock Exchange Group shares slipped 0.5% to 8,736 pence by mid-morning Thursday after announcing a fresh buyback. The move followed a 2.2% drop Wednesday, underperforming the FTSE 100. Deutsche Boerse’s 5.35 billion euro Allfunds deal kept sector M&A in focus. Investors await the Bank of England’s Feb. 5 meeting and LSEG’s full-year results on Feb. 26.
22 January 2026
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Lloyds shares are above £1 again — UBS lifts target as investors do the dividend maths

Lloyds shares are above £1 again — UBS lifts target as investors do the dividend maths

Lloyds shares rose 1.8% to 103.25p in early London trading, surpassing the £1 mark ahead of full-year results due Jan. 29. UBS raised its price target to 103p but kept a neutral rating, citing post-2026 growth uncertainty. Analyst consensus puts the 12-month target at 101.11p, below the current price. Retail investors are watching for dividend prospects, with forecasts suggesting only modest gains.
22 January 2026
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GSK share price steadies as $2.2bn RAPT deal lands amid fresh U.S. vaccine-policy risk

GSK share price steadies as $2.2bn RAPT deal lands amid fresh U.S. vaccine-policy risk

GSK shares rose 0.1% in early London trading as investors assessed the $2.2 billion acquisition of RAPT Therapeutics and changes to ViiV Healthcare’s ownership. The deal brings ozureprubart, a mid-stage food-allergy drug, into GSK’s pipeline. Pfizer will exit ViiV, with Shionogi raising its stake to 21.7%. Uncertainty over U.S. vaccine policy clouds the outlook ahead of GSK’s Feb. 4 results.
22 January 2026
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Rolls-Royce shares rebound after a wobble as investors size up the 2026 trade

Rolls-Royce shares rebound after a wobble as investors size up the 2026 trade

Rolls-Royce shares rose 0.8% to 1,264.5 pence in early London trading Thursday, rebounding from a 2% drop the previous day. The company began a £200 million interim share buyback on Jan. 2, set to finish before full-year results on Feb. 26. Analysts cite defence spending and profit targets but warn valuations are high. Rolls-Royce moved from £5.16 billion net debt in 2021 to £1.08 billion net cash by June 2025.
22 January 2026
Barclays snaps up 2.5 million more shares as buyback presses on amid tariff volatility

Barclays snaps up 2.5 million more shares as buyback presses on amid tariff volatility

Barclays bought back 2,522,940 shares on Jan. 21 at an average price of 475.07 pence, bringing total repurchases since October to 86,403,909 shares. All repurchased shares will be cancelled, reducing the bank’s share capital to 13.83 billion ordinary shares. The buybacks come amid renewed tariff disputes and geopolitical tensions affecting markets. NatWest also repurchased 830,691 shares for cancellation on Wednesday.
22 January 2026
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BP buyback update nudges shares higher as oil slips and tariff talk shadows the sector

BP buyback update nudges shares higher as oil slips and tariff talk shadows the sector

BP bought over 3 million shares Wednesday under its buyback programme, raising treasury stock to nearly 752 million shares. Shares rose about 0.5% in early London trading. Oil prices slipped Thursday, with Brent at $64.96 a barrel and U.S. crude at $60.43. Earlier this month, BP moved 145 million treasury shares into employee schemes, adjusting total voting rights to 15.76 billion.
22 January 2026
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BT share price jumps as Openreach steps up copper switch-off — UBS still says “sell”

BT share price jumps as Openreach steps up copper switch-off — UBS still says “sell”

BT shares rose about 2.3% in early London trading after Openreach expanded its copper "stop sell" programme by 132 exchanges, affecting 1.23 million premises. UBS kept its “sell” rating and 140p target, warning of pricing and investment risks. Openreach aims to move all providers to digital phone lines by January 2027. BT will report third-quarter results on February 5.
22 January 2026
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Hang Seng wobbles, then closes higher as Hong Kong inflation ticks up and Trump cools tariff talk

Hang Seng wobbles, then closes higher as Hong Kong inflation ticks up and Trump cools tariff talk

The Hang Seng Index closed up 44 points at 26,629 on Thursday after a volatile session, with turnover at HK$234.86 billion. Baidu hit a record high, Pop Mart surged, while China Life and Ping An fell. December consumer prices in Hong Kong rose 1.4% year-on-year, with underlying inflation at 1.2%. Mainland insurers lagged as tech stocks and financials led early gains.
22 January 2026
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NatWest share price rises as buyback update meets shifting BoE rate-cut bets

NatWest share price rises as buyback update meets shifting BoE rate-cut bets

NatWest shares rose 1.6% to 660 pence in early London trading after the bank announced new buybacks and plans to cancel repurchased shares. JPMorgan raised its price target for NatWest to 750 pence. The bank bought back 830,691 shares on Jan. 21, reducing outstanding shares to about 7.99 billion. Investors await the Bank of England’s Feb. 5 decision and NatWest’s earnings on Feb. 13.
22 January 2026
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HSBC share price climbs near a 52-week peak as BoE rate-cut bets shift — what investors watch next

HSBC share price climbs near a 52-week peak as BoE rate-cut bets shift — what investors watch next

HSBC shares rose 1.4% to 1,248.2 pence in early London trading, near a 52-week high, after UK inflation data and shifting rate forecasts. Barclays and Lloyds also gained. Morgan Stanley now expects the Bank of England’s next rate cut in March, following December inflation of 3.4%. The BoE meets Feb. 5, with HSBC’s annual results due Feb. 25.
22 January 2026
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Anglo American share price pauses near 52-week high as copper jitters; Feb 5 update looms

Anglo American share price pauses near 52-week high as copper jitters; Feb 5 update looms

Anglo American shares held steady in early London trading Thursday after a 4.87% surge to a one-year high on Wednesday. The stock traded at 3,402 pence by 0846 GMT. EU decisions on the Teck merger are expected Feb. 3 and Feb. 10, with Anglo’s Q4 production report due Feb. 5. Copper prices rebounded, but signs of weaker Chinese demand persist.
22 January 2026
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