Today: 8 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.

Prudential plc share price ends week higher as PRU buyback and BoE rate bets shape the next move

Prudential plc share price ends week higher as PRU buyback and BoE rate bets shape the next move

Prudential plc shares closed 0.5% higher at 1,182 pence Friday after the insurer repurchased 494,445 shares, averaging 11.87 pounds each, for cancellation. The FTSE 100 rose 0.6% on the day. Bank of England survey data showed markets expect the policy rate to fall to 3.0% by March 2027 from 3.75% now. Prudential’s $1.2 billion buyback program runs through December 2026.
7 February 2026
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Compass Group PLC stock price slips to 2,125p as AI worries hang over office catering demand

Compass Group PLC stock price slips to 2,125p as AI worries hang over office catering demand

Compass Group shares fell 2.48% to 2,125p on Friday, underperforming the FTSE 100’s 0.59% gain. The caterer reported 7.3% first-quarter organic revenue growth and reiterated its 2026 outlook. Shares hit a three-year low amid investor concerns over AI’s impact on office catering. Compass will switch its London trading currency to U.S. dollars from April 1.
7 February 2026
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Binance scoops up 3,600 more Bitcoin for SAFU as BTC whipsaws after brutal selloff

Binance scoops up 3,600 more Bitcoin for SAFU as BTC whipsaws after brutal selloff

Binance bought 3,600 bitcoin for its Secure Asset Fund, bringing its holdings to 6,230 BTC after bitcoin rebounded above $70,000 following a sharp drop. The broader crypto market lost about $2 trillion since October, with $1 billion in leveraged bitcoin positions liquidated in 24 hours. Strategy reported a wider Q4 loss as bitcoin fell. Gemini will cut up to 200 jobs and exit the UK, EU, and Australia.
7 February 2026
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Barclays share price jumps into earnings week as BoE rate-cut bets shift the story

Barclays share price jumps into earnings week as BoE rate-cut bets shift the story

Barclays shares closed up 2.7% at 479.1 pence on Friday, outperforming the FTSE 100 ahead of next week’s full-year results. Trading volume was 18.8 million shares, well below the 50-day average. A split Bank of England vote on rates led traders to price in more UK rate cuts, sending sterling down 0.6%. Barclays announced non-executive director Mary Francis will retire in May.
7 February 2026
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Lloyds share price steadies after buyback update and BoE rate jitters — what to watch next week

Lloyds share price steadies after buyback update and BoE rate jitters — what to watch next week

Lloyds shares closed up 0.9% at 106.75 pence Friday after the bank announced fresh buybacks totaling 17 million shares over two days, all to be cancelled. The stock rebounded from a 5.6% drop Thursday as traders adjusted UK rate-cut bets. About 121 million Lloyds shares changed hands. Investors await the bank’s annual report on February 18 and the next Bank of England decision March 19.
7 February 2026
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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

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.
7 February 2026
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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

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.
7 February 2026
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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

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.
7 February 2026
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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

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.
7 February 2026
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SSE share price near 2,510p as BoE rate-cut bets return; UK GDP and SSE updates ahead

SSE share price near 2,510p as BoE rate-cut bets return; UK GDP and SSE updates ahead

SSE shares closed Friday at 2,510p, up 1.2%, with about 6.6 million shares traded. The company’s transmission arm secured over £6.9 million in Ofgem innovation funding for four projects. Investors adjusted UK rate-cut bets after a split Bank of England decision. SSE maintained 2025/26 earnings guidance and reported a 7% rise in renewables output.
7 February 2026
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Stock Market Today

Verizon stock snaps seven-day winning streak — what to watch for VZ into the new week

Verizon stock snaps seven-day winning streak — what to watch for VZ into the new week

8 February 2026
Verizon shares fell 1.7% to $46.31 on Friday, ending a seven-day rally and lagging a broad market rebound. The drop follows a leadership shakeup in the consumer unit, with Sowmyanarayan Sampath stepping down and Alfonso Villanueva named interim chief. Investors await delayed U.S. jobs and inflation data next week, which could affect rate-sensitive stocks.
Disney stock ends week higher after Friday bounce — what to watch for DIS next week

Disney stock ends week higher after Friday bounce — what to watch for DIS next week

7 February 2026
Disney shares closed up 3.6% at $108.70 Friday, recovering from earlier losses as U.S. stocks rallied and the Dow topped 50,000. Investors are watching Super Bowl streaming economics and Disney’s CEO transition, with Josh D’Amaro set to take over at the March 18 meeting. Disney reported quarterly revenue of $25.98 billion and adjusted EPS of $1.63, while segment operating income fell 9% to $4.6 billion.
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