Today: 7 February 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.

Severn Trent share price: SVT closes higher as Ofwat scrutiny keeps UK water stocks in focus

Severn Trent share price: SVT closes higher as Ofwat scrutiny keeps UK water stocks in focus

London, Jan 17, 2026, 09:24 GMT — Market closed. Severn Trent (SVT.L) closed Friday at 2,835 pence, gaining 16 pence, or 0.57%. With London markets closed for the weekend and no new company updates, trading remained quiet. The water utility’s market cap stands near £8.54 billion. Its latest disclosure on the London Stock Exchange’s Regulatory News Service (RNS) dates back to Jan. 2. (London South East) This matters now. On a quiet tape, regulated utilities move more on big-picture factors — policy risks, interest rates, and changing hunger for steady dividends — than on company-specific news. The stock ends up
17 January 2026
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Smiths Group share price hits new 52-week high — buyback keeps SMIN in focus into next week

Smiths Group share price hits new 52-week high — buyback keeps SMIN in focus into next week

London, Jan 17, 2026, 09:21 GMT — Market is now closed. Smiths Group Plc (SMIN.L) shares climbed 1.95% on Friday, finishing at 2,612 pence and hitting a new 52-week high, even as the FTSE 100 slipped 0.04%. The stock surpassed its previous peak of 2,574 pence from the day before. Trading volume stood at 789,474 shares, below the 50-day average of roughly 1.1 million. (MarketWatch) The recent gain came after a 4.15% surge on Thursday to 2,562 pence, marking another fresh one-year peak, in a session where the FTSE 100 climbed 0.54%. Smiths has made two swift advances up the
17 January 2026
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SSE share price hits a 52-week high — here’s what could move the UK utility next week

SSE share price hits a 52-week high — here’s what could move the UK utility next week

London, Jan 17, 2026, 09:19 GMT — The market has closed. SSE Plc (SSE.L) shares climbed 1.12% to finish at 2,343 pence (£23.43) on Friday, hitting a fresh 52-week peak. The UK utility outpaced a flat broader market despite lighter trading volumes. (MarketWatch) This move is significant as SSE occupies a sweet spot between two favored investor plays: regulated electricity networks offering steady returns, and renewables projects that secure long-term revenues when policy backing is certain. This week, SSE gained renewed government-backed support for a major offshore wind project, bringing a sharper policy focus. Even with the stock close to
17 January 2026
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Ashtead Group share price: Buyback filing keeps traders focused as London heads into Monday

Ashtead Group share price: Buyback filing keeps traders focused as London heads into Monday

London, Jan 17, 2026, 09:15 GMT — Market closed. Ashtead Group shares dipped 22 pence, or 0.41%, ending Friday at 5,302 pence in London. During the session, the stock fluctuated between 5,268 and 5,346 pence. (Investing.com) Ashtead’s ongoing wave of buyback announcements is crucial as the equipment rental giant aims to highlight cash returns ahead of its planned move to list primarily on the New York Stock Exchange. The company, which operates as Sunbelt Rentals, is already the second-largest equipment rental firm in the U.S. (Reuters) On Friday, a regulatory filing revealed Ashtead purchased 72,300 ordinary shares for treasury on
17 January 2026
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Standard Chartered share price hits new 52-week high — what to watch for STAN.L on Monday

Standard Chartered share price hits new 52-week high — what to watch for STAN.L on Monday

London, Jan 17, 2026, 09:15 GMT — Market closed. Standard Chartered shares ended Friday at 1,878.5 pence, gaining 1.5% and hitting a fresh 52-week peak. The stock outperformed a largely unchanged broader market. (MarketWatch) Standard Chartered is now considering selling its entire Botswana operation, not just its wealth and retail units, the country’s central bank revealed. The sale could take 12 to 15 months, with the regulator set to supervise the handover. Standard Chartered is exploring options for its credit-card business in India, including a possible sale, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the situation. (Morningstar) Stepping aside from deal
17 January 2026
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Vodafone stock weekend watch: buyback filing and Feb. 5 update set the next moves

Vodafone stock weekend watch: buyback filing and Feb. 5 update set the next moves

London, Jan 17, 2026, 09:15 GMT — Market closed. Vodafone (VOD.L) closed Friday at 100.80 pence, edging up 0.05% after moving between 100.40 and 101.40 pence during the session. The stock remains close to its 52-week peak of 104.15 pence, with London markets now closed for the weekend. (Investing.com) This is significant as Vodafone has increased its focus on shareholder returns amid its restructuring efforts. Buybacks often help stabilize trading during slow periods. The company has announced plans for share repurchases worth up to 2 billion euros, funded by the sale of Vodafone Spain and Vodafone Italy. It also follows
17 January 2026
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EPFO’s UPI withdrawal plan could roll out by April — plus “Suvidha” helpers to fix PF snags

EPFO’s UPI withdrawal plan could roll out by April — plus “Suvidha” helpers to fix PF snags

New Delhi, January 17, 2026, 14:24 IST India’s Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is set to allow subscribers to transfer a portion of their provident fund savings directly into their bank accounts via the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) by April, a senior source told PTI. Subscribers will authenticate these transfers using their UPI PIN, the source added. (Moneycontrol) This change is significant for a retirement fund system that manages millions of withdrawals and complaints, with workers frequently needing cash urgently for things like illness, housing, or education. EPFO handles over five crore claims annually, mostly withdrawal-related. Officials say the move
17 January 2026
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Experian share price slips into the weekend as dividend FX set — what to watch next week

Experian share price slips into the weekend as dividend FX set — what to watch next week

London, Jan 17, 2026, 09:05 GMT — Market closed. Experian (EXPN) shares ended Friday down 1.02%, closing at 3,296 pence. The dip came as the credit data company announced the exchange rate for its first interim dividend ahead of the weekend. (MarketScreener) The next big moment for the stock is coming up soon. Experian plans to report third-quarter trading for FY26 on Jan. 21. Back in November, CEO Brian Cassin told investors to expect full-year total revenue growth around 11% and organic growth near 8% — “at the top end” of its earlier forecast. (FT Markets) The dividend update highlights
17 January 2026
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SpaceX’s NROL-105 launch puts new U.S. spy satellites in orbit as NRO ramps up “proliferated” fleet

SpaceX’s NROL-105 launch puts new U.S. spy satellites in orbit as NRO ramps up “proliferated” fleet

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, California, Jan 17, 2026, 00:42 PST SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 rocket skyward late Friday, carrying an unknown number of U.S. reconnaissance satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office. The first-stage booster touched down safely back at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/01/16/live-coverage-nro-spacex-to-launch-reconnaissance-satellites-from-vandenberg/ This mission is key to the NRO’s push for a “proliferated architecture” — moving away from a few large, costly satellites that risk total failure, toward a network of many smaller ones. The agency envisions a constellation of hundreds of satellites, with launches scheduled through 2029. Friday’s launch, called NROL-105, blasted off at
17 January 2026
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BAE Systems share price: buyback filing and Ukraine jitters set up Monday trade

BAE Systems share price: buyback filing and Ukraine jitters set up Monday trade

London, Jan 17, 2026, 08:50 GMT — Market closed BAE Systems plc (BA.) shares closed Friday up 2.3% at 2,088p, outperforming a flat FTSE 100 as the weekend approached. Trading volume hit 5.6 million shares, below the 50-day average, indicating a sentiment-driven push rather than heavy liquidity demand. (MarketWatch) London has closed, but Friday’s action holds weight as defence stocks are increasingly a shortcut for investors betting on geopolitics and government budgets. BAE is also trimming its share count with buybacks, a tactic that can boost earnings per share even if revenue growth slows. That combination has the power to
17 January 2026
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NatWest share price ends week up 2% at 652.8p as buybacks run; BoE decision, results ahead

NatWest share price ends week up 2% at 652.8p as buybacks run; BoE decision, results ahead

London, January 17, 2026, 08:53 (GMT) — Market closed. NatWest Group Plc shares ended Friday at 652.8 pence (6.53 pounds), rising 2.16%. London markets were closed over the weekend. The stock fluctuated between 636.6p and 652.8p, with roughly 18.5 million shares traded. (Investing.com) NatWest has jumped back into the rate trade ahead of the Bank of England’s upcoming Bank Rate decision on Feb. 5. The benchmark currently stands at 3.75%. (Bank of England) NatWest has marked a key date: the bank will release its 2025 annual results at 7 a.m. GMT on Friday, Feb. 13. Investors are keen to see
17 January 2026
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BP share price ends higher; buyback and offshore wind shift set up next week for BP stock

BP share price ends higher; buyback and offshore wind shift set up next week for BP stock

LONDON, Jan 17, 2026, 08:47 GMT — Market closed. BP shares ended Friday’s session up 0.5%, settling at 440.25 pence in London ahead of the weekend. (Yahoo Finance) With markets closed, traders will look to two familiar catalysts for BP on Monday: crude prices and the company’s ongoing stream of capital-return news. That’s typically where the next move begins. Oil prices dipped on Friday as concerns over a potential U.S. strike on Iran softened, dragging Brent crude down 21 cents to $63.55 a barrel and U.S. crude off 15 cents to $59.04 during Asian trading. Such headline shifts can quickly
17 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

Nvidia stock jumps nearly 8% as Big Tech AI spending bets lift chipmakers and Dow tops 50,000

Nvidia stock jumps nearly 8% as Big Tech AI spending bets lift chipmakers and Dow tops 50,000

7 February 2026
Nvidia surged 7.8% Friday, leading a chip stock rally that pushed the Dow above 50,000 for the first time. The PHLX semiconductor index gained 5.7% as Advanced Micro Devices rose 8.3% and Broadcom 7.1%. Amazon fell 5.6% after projecting $200 billion in 2026 capital spending. Investors weighed a $600 billion AI infrastructure outlay against sharp losses in software shares.
Glencore share price steadies after Rio Tinto walks away — what to watch next week

Glencore share price steadies after Rio Tinto walks away — what to watch next week

7 February 2026
Glencore shares closed up 0.6% at 478.1 pence Friday, rebounding after a 7% drop following the collapse of merger talks with Rio Tinto. The company is expected to announce the sale of its Kazzinc stake soon and has signed a non-binding agreement with Orion for a potential $9 billion deal in the DRC. Investors await Glencore’s full-year results on Feb. 18 for further guidance.
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