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.

FTSE 100 record run stalls as gold dips and Tesla UK sales slide

FTSE 100 record run stalls as gold dips and Tesla UK sales slide

London, January 8, 2026, 09:21 GMT London’s FTSE 100 closed down 0.7% on Wednesday, pausing after a run of record highs as energy and financial stocks fell and investors tracked the latest U.S.-Venezuela moves. Energy shares slid after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had reached a deal to import up to $2 billion worth of Venezuelan crude, while banks fell and defence stocks edged higher. The mid-cap FTSE 250 ended 0.4% higher, holding near a four-year peak. Reuters The wobble comes at the start of a year when investors have pushed several major markets toward new highs, then started
8 January 2026
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Jefferies lifts Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest price targets as UK bank rally rolls into 2026

Jefferies lifts Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest price targets as UK bank rally rolls into 2026

LONDON, Jan 8, 2026, 09:26 (GMT) Jefferies has raised its price targets on Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and NatWest Group, arguing there is still room for UK bank shares to climb despite a sharp run-up. The broker lifted its target on Barclays by 19% to 560p, Lloyds by 13% to 119p and NatWest by 14% to 720p, interactive investor reported. https://www.ii.co.uk/analysis-commentary/new-price-targets-lloyds-bank-barclays-natwest-and-others-ii537727 The calls matter because UK lenders were a major driver of last year’s gains in London’s benchmark index and are a bigger part of many portfolios than they used to be. Jefferies said it was getting harder for underweight
8 January 2026
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Scottish village’s last bar goes on the market as Hillside Hotel near Montrose seeks buyer

Scottish village’s last bar goes on the market as Hillside Hotel near Montrose seeks buyer

MONTROSE, Scotland, January 8, 2026, 09:22 (GMT) The Hillside Hotel in the Angus village of Hillside, near Montrose, has been put up for sale for offers in excess of £280,000, a property listing showed. The marketing describes a recently refurbished hotel and public bar with eight en-suite letting rooms and a car park. PropList The sale matters in a place like Hillside because there is not much slack. The Courier reported on Wednesday that owner Catherine Braes is selling up what it called the village’s final bar and hotel after 13 years. The Courier The hotel trades as Hillside Hotel
8 January 2026
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IAG stock edges up as Bernstein lifts target and Morgan Stanley flags cash returns

IAG stock edges up as Bernstein lifts target and Morgan Stanley flags cash returns

London, Jan 8, 2026, 09:29 GMT — Regular session Shares in British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) rose 0.7% to about 435 pence on Thursday, extending a strong run after Bernstein lifted its target price on the airline group. MarketScreener The move matters now because IAG has become a crowded Europe travel trade, with investors looking for proof that high fares and a tighter aircraft market can keep feeding cash flow. The next big test is IAG’s FY-2025 results, due on Feb. 27. iairgroup.com Morgan Stanley, in a note on Tuesday launching coverage of IAG’s U.S.-listed ADRs, pointed
8 January 2026
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GSK share price slips as hepatitis B drug headline leaves investors wanting the numbers

GSK share price slips as hepatitis B drug headline leaves investors wanting the numbers

London, Jan 8, 2026, 09:12 GMT — Regular session GSK (GSK.L) shares slipped on Thursday as investors weighed upbeat headlines on its experimental hepatitis B therapy against a lack of hard cure-rate data. The stock was down 0.9% at 1,883.5 pence in London trade, after moving between 1,880 and 1,896.5 pence and staying near the top of its 52-week range. Investing.com+1 GSK said two Phase III trials of bepirovirsen met their primary endpoint — the main goal set before the studies began — and delivered a statistically significant “functional cure” rate on top of standard treatment. A functional cure, as
8 January 2026
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NatWest share price edges higher after Barclays downgrade jolt; buybacks, Feb. 13 results in focus

NatWest share price edges higher after Barclays downgrade jolt; buybacks, Feb. 13 results in focus

London, Jan 8, 2026, 09:22 GMT — Regular session NatWest Group (NWG.L) shares were up 0.6% at 636.2 pence on Thursday, after opening lower and trading between 625.0p and 637.2p on a 15-minute delay. The stock is about 6% below Tuesday’s 52-week peak of 674.2p. London South East The move comes a day after NatWest slid 4.3% when Barclays downgraded the lender to “equal-weight” from “overweight” — broker shorthand for stepping back to a neutral view from a buy-leaning one. Heavyweight banks dragged the FTSE 100 lower in that session. Reuters Investors are now trying to work out whether the
8 January 2026
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Barclays shares edge up after Ubyx stablecoin stake and fresh buyback update

Barclays shares edge up after Ubyx stablecoin stake and fresh buyback update

London, January 8, 2026, 09:18 GMT — Regular session Barclays (BARC.L) shares were up 0.7% at 482.9 pence by 0854 GMT, after ending Wednesday at 479.55p. The stock traded in a 476.70p–483.20p range and remains below its 52-week high of 492.95p. SharePrices Barclays said on Wednesday it had taken a stake in U.S. stablecoin-settlement company Ubyx, its first investment in a stablecoin-related business. Ubyx runs a clearing system for stablecoins — cryptocurrencies designed to track mainstream currencies 1:1 — and Barclays did not disclose the size of the investment. The bank was among 10 lenders, including Goldman Sachs and UBS,
8 January 2026
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Unilever PLC stock hits a fresh 52-week low as Jefferies stays wary ahead of February results

Unilever PLC stock hits a fresh 52-week low as Jefferies stays wary ahead of February results

London, Jan 8, 2026, 09:02 GMT — Regular session Unilever PLC (ULVR.L) shares fell 0.7% to 4,599.6 pence by 0902 GMT, after touching 4,584.5 pence, the bottom of their 52-week range. The FTSE 100 was down about 0.2% and peer Reckitt Benckiser was up about 0.8%. Google+1 The slide follows a 2.4% drop on Wednesday, when Unilever closed at £46.31 and lagged the wider market. The stock is about 16% below its Dec. 19 high, with trading volume running below recent averages, MarketWatch data showed. MarketWatch Broker notes were adding to the caution. Jefferies analyst David Hayes reiterated an “underperform”
8 January 2026
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Compass Group shares hit a 12-month low early as London market slips; dividend clock ticks

Compass Group shares hit a 12-month low early as London market slips; dividend clock ticks

London, Jan 8, 2026, 09:17 GMT — Regular session Compass Group shares slid early on Thursday and briefly hit a 12-month low before paring losses, tracking a softer tone across London equities. The caterer’s stock was down 0.8% at 2,314 pence by 0902 GMT after opening at 2,249p, which also marked the bottom of its 52-week range. SharePrices The move landed as the FTSE 100 opened down about 0.3%, led by sharp falls in a handful of heavyweight names. “Various forces are poised to somewhat buoy the market heading into 2026,” Halifax analyst Amanda Bryden said, pointing to easing mortgage
8 January 2026
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Rolls-Royce shares hit fresh highs in 2026 rally as valuation debate heats upLondon,

Rolls-Royce shares hit fresh highs in 2026 rally as valuation debate heats upLondon,

Jan 8, 2026, 09:00 (GMT) Rolls-Royce shares rose again on Thursday, pushing further into a strong start to 2026 for the UK aero-engine maker. The stock hit 1,286 pence and was up 1.15% at 1,273.5 pence on delayed London market data. London South East The move is pulling in retail attention as well as bigger money. A Motley Fool column estimated a £10,000 stake bought a week ago would now be worth about £10,850, after an 8.5% gain in the first week of the year, and said the average 12-month target among analysts sat around 1,258p — close to where
8 January 2026
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Fresh Lloyds, Barclays and NatWest price targets hint at more upside for UK bank sharesLONDON,

Fresh Lloyds, Barclays and NatWest price targets hint at more upside for UK bank sharesLONDON,

Jan 8, 2026, 09:05 GMT Jefferies lifted its price targets on Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and NatWest in a fresh note, arguing UK bank shares still have room to rerate despite a strong 2025. The broker raised its targets to 119 pence for Lloyds, 560 pence for Barclays and 720 pence for NatWest. It also kept Buy calls on OSB Group and Paragon Banking Group, with targets of 740 pence and 1,060 pence. Interactive Investor The call matters because banks have become too big to ignore in London again. Jefferies said the sector’s weighting has grown to about 17% of
8 January 2026
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Utah’s New Wildfire Risk Map Flags Hot Zones as Central Texas Tracks Early 2026 FiresSALT LAKE CITY, Utah,

Utah’s New Wildfire Risk Map Flags Hot Zones as Central Texas Tracks Early 2026 FiresSALT LAKE CITY, Utah,

January 8, 2026, 01:55 MST Utah officials on Thursday released an updated statewide wildfire risk map that shows much of southern Utah, including large portions of Kane County and surrounding public lands, in the higher-risk categories because of dense fuels, steep terrain and seasonal winds. The map is intended to guide planning and mitigation as the state heads into another fire season shaped by drought, growth and changing climate conditions. Southern Utah News Risk maps like this are becoming a go-to tool for fire agencies and local governments as more housing spreads into the wildland-urban interface, the zone where neighborhoods
8 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

Vodafone shares steady up after Q3 wobble — Germany, buyback and next results now set the tone

Vodafone shares steady up after Q3 wobble — Germany, buyback and next results now set the tone

7 February 2026
Vodafone shares rose 1.47% to 110.60p Friday, recovering part of Thursday’s 4.68% drop after a Q3 update. Group revenue climbed 6.5% to €10.5 billion, but Germany’s 0.7% service revenue growth missed some forecasts. Vodafone launched a new €500 million buyback tranche, bringing total buybacks since May to €3.5 billion. Investors remain focused on Germany’s pace and cash flow execution.
NatWest Group stock: buyback filing and Rightmove mortgage deal set up a busy week

NatWest Group stock: buyback filing and Rightmove mortgage deal set up a busy week

7 February 2026
NatWest shares closed up 1.45% at 659.4 pence Friday, buoyed by a buyback of 797,428 shares and a new digital mortgage deal with Rightmove. The Bank of England held rates at 3.75% but signaled possible cuts, with markets pricing in two reductions for 2026. NatWest plans to expand its Accelerator community to 50,000 members by 2026. Annual results are due Feb. 13.
Unilever share price holds at 5,250p as results week looms — what investors watch next

Unilever share price holds at 5,250p as results week looms — what investors watch next

7 February 2026
Unilever shares closed flat at 5,250p in London Friday, underperforming the FTSE 100’s 0.6% gain. The company issued 4.2 million new shares for employee plans, bringing total shares to over 2.18 billion. Investors await Q4 and full-year results on Feb. 12, with analyst consensus pointing to 3.9% Q4 sales growth. Unilever’s U.S. ADR rose 0.8% to $72.12.
BP share price near 52-week high ahead of Feb 10 earnings as buyback runs on

BP share price near 52-week high ahead of Feb 10 earnings as buyback runs on

7 February 2026
BP shares closed up 1.9% at 478 pence Friday, just below a 52-week high, as the company continued buybacks ahead of next week’s results. BP repurchased 2.789 million shares on February 6. Oil prices firmed on geopolitical risk, with Brent at $68.05 a barrel, but sector outlook remains uncertain. Investors await BP’s earnings and dividend decision due Tuesday.
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