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.

BAE Systems stock jumps 5.5% as defence rally lifts FTSE heavyweight — what to watch next

BAE Systems stock jumps 5.5% as defence rally lifts FTSE heavyweight — what to watch next

London, Jan 6, 2026, 07:58 GMT — Premarket BAE Systems (BAES.L) shares closed up 5.53% on Monday at 1,851 pence (£18.51), putting the UK defence group in focus ahead of Tuesday’s London open. The stock traded between 1,796 and 1,851 pence on about 8.6 million shares and remains below its 52-week high of 2,071 pence, data showed. Investing.com The move matters because defence names helped push the FTSE 100 through 10,000 for the first time on Monday after the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reignited geopolitical risk. BAE rose more than 5% alongside peers including Babcock and Chemring,
6 January 2026
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BP stock watch: Tiber contract, buyback and oil slide put BP PLC shares in focus

BP stock watch: Tiber contract, buyback and oil slide put BP PLC shares in focus

London, Jan 6, 2026, 07:53 GMT — Premarket BP shares (BP.L) will be in focus at the London open on Tuesday after TechnipFMC said it won a $600 million-$800 million iEPCI contract — a bundled design-to-install offshore package — from BP for its high-pressure Tiber development in the Gulf of America. BP ended Monday down 0.6% at 435.25 pence. technipfmc.com+1 The award matters because investors have pressed oil majors to keep capital spending tight while returning cash through dividends and buybacks. For BP, new deepwater work tests that balance as crude prices sit near multi-year lows and the market debates
6 January 2026
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Brambles (ASX:BXB) stock slips as CPI looms; director adds 22 shares

Brambles (ASX:BXB) stock slips as CPI looms; director adds 22 shares

Sydney, January 6, 2026, 18:43 AEDT — After-hours Brambles Limited shares (BXB.AX) closed down 1.0% on Tuesday at A$22.31, with investors reluctant to add risk ahead of a key Australian inflation reading. The pallet-pooling group traded between A$22.11 and A$22.53, and remains about 17% below its 52-week high. The move comes as traders reassess the path for Reserve Bank of Australia policy and rotate between sectors, a pattern that can leave steady industrial names whipsawed despite a thin company-news flow. “If the market starts pricing in rate increases, the ASX is likely to see more differentiated performance across sectors rather
6 January 2026
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Transurban Group Ltd stock slides after ASX close as inflation test nears — what to know

Transurban Group Ltd stock slides after ASX close as inflation test nears — what to know

Sydney, January 6, 2026, 18:50 AEDT — After-hours Transurban Group Ltd shares closed down 2.4% at A$13.70 on Tuesday, after touching an intraday low of A$13.63 and failing to hold above A$14.00, a level some short-term traders treat as a near-term line in the sand. The toll-road operator’s stapled securities — a share-and-trust unit that trade together as one line on the market — moved lower as investors positioned for Australia’s November consumer price data due on Wednesday, a release that can reset interest-rate expectations. ABC That matters because long-duration infrastructure stocks often react to shifts in bond yields, which
6 January 2026
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UK consumer borrowing jumps as mortgage approvals dip — what the Bank of England data shows

UK consumer borrowing jumps as mortgage approvals dip — what the Bank of England data shows

London, January 6, 2026, 07:36 GMT British consumer borrowing rose by the most in two years in November, while mortgage approvals for house purchases edged lower, Bank of England data showed on Monday. Consumer borrowing grew by a net 2.08 billion pounds ($2.79 billion) during the month and mortgage approvals fell to 64,530 from 65,010 in October, the data showed. “Speculation about tax rises ahead of November’s Budget didn’t influence households’ spending decisions too much,” said Alex Kerr, UK economist at Capital Economics. Reuters The figures matter because they offer a quick read on whether household demand is holding up
6 January 2026
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Coles shares slide 2.8% as Australia braces for CPI — what’s next for ASX:COL

Coles shares slide 2.8% as Australia braces for CPI — what’s next for ASX:COL

Sydney, Jan 6, 2026, 18:45 AEDT — Market closed Coles Group Ltd shares ended Tuesday down 2.8% at A$20.57, after sliding from an early A$21.11 and trading as low as A$20.55, the company’s investor page showed. Coles Group The drop left Coles lagging the broader market as Australia’s benchmark ASX 200 closed 0.52% lower, with investors focused on the next inflation reading. “Uncertainty over whether the inflation rise is structural or seasonal” is driving positioning, VanEck’s Arian Neiron said, according to a market wrap. News.com.au That inflation test lands on Wednesday, when the Australian Bureau of Statistics releases November CPI
6 January 2026
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Liontown Limited (ASX:LTR) stock jumps to 52-week high as lithium prices rebound

Liontown Limited (ASX:LTR) stock jumps to 52-week high as lithium prices rebound

Sydney, January 6, 2026, 18:43 AEDT — Market closed Liontown Limited stock jumped 14.8% on Tuesday to end at A$1.94, its highest level in 52 weeks, as investors piled back into lithium names. Investing.com Battery-metals sentiment has improved after a boom in grid storage lifted demand expectations for 2026 and helped pull lithium prices off last year’s lows, a Reuters analysis said. Energy storage demand for lithium grew 71% in 2025 and is expected to rise another 55% in 2026; “rapid growth” in storage demand has “surpassed expectations,” said Jinyi Su, an analyst at consultancy Fubao. Reuters Australia’s benchmark ASX
6 January 2026
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SJM Holdings’ $500 million bond buyback ramps up as ratings agencies stay wary

SJM Holdings’ $500 million bond buyback ramps up as ratings agencies stay wary

Hong Kong, Jan 6, 2026, 15:04 (HKT) SJM Holdings said it has started a cash tender offer to buy back all outstanding $500 million 4.5% senior notes due on Jan. 27, as it moves to refinance the maturity with a new U.S.-dollar bond issue. The calendar is tight. The tender offer closes on Jan. 12, while the company is already courting fixed-income investors for fresh money, a combination that underlines how closely Macau operators’ balance sheets are being watched. The refinancing push lands as rating agencies keep a negative view on SJM’s deleveraging — reducing debt relative to earnings —
6 January 2026
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Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) jumps to 52-week high as miners rally — what to watch next

Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) jumps to 52-week high as miners rally — what to watch next

Sydney, Jan 6, 2026, 18:15 AEDT — Market closed Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX:MIN) shares ended Tuesday up 3.5% at A$57.77, after touching a 52-week high of A$57.88. Lithium peers also outperformed, with Pilbara Minerals up 9.5% and Liontown rising 14.8%. Google The broader S&P/ASX 200 closed down 0.5% at 8,682, even as the materials sector led the market higher with a 1.5% gain. The index also slipped below its 50-day moving average — a chart level traders watch for shifts in momentum — as investors looked to Wednesday’s November inflation data for fresh direction on interest rates. Interest-rate markets have
6 January 2026
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South32 stock jumps as copper hits record highs — what investors watch before the Jan. 22 update

South32 stock jumps as copper hits record highs — what investors watch before the Jan. 22 update

Sydney, Jan 6, 2026, 18:24 AEDT — After-hours South32 Ltd (S32.AX) shares rose 3.28% to A$3.78 on Tuesday after touching an intraday high of A$3.81, data from Intelligent Investor showed. The stock, up A$0.12 from its prior close, is among the most closely watched ASX metals names because of its exposure to commodities including copper and aluminium. Intelligent Investor The broader S&P/ASX 200 index closed down 0.5%, while the basic materials sector led gains, up 1.5%, an ABC market wrap showed. ABC That split matters now as investors reposition around industrial metals into a heavy stretch of scheduled reporting for
6 January 2026
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Evolution Mining stock ends higher as gold hits a one-week high; EVN investors eye Jan 21 update

Evolution Mining stock ends higher as gold hits a one-week high; EVN investors eye Jan 21 update

Sydney, Jan 6, 2026, 18:22 AEDT — Market closed Evolution Mining Ltd (EVN.AX) shares closed up 0.2% at A$12.82 on Tuesday, steadying near the top of their 52-week range as gold pushed higher. The stock traded between A$12.68 and A$13.04 and remains just below a 52-week high of A$13.30. Investing.com The timing matters for gold miners because bullion’s latest leg higher is being driven by shifting U.S. rate expectations, a macro lever that can move sentiment quickly. For Evolution, it also lands ahead of a scheduled quarterly update that investors will use to test production momentum and costs against guidance.
6 January 2026
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Telstra share price slips as rate-hike bets rise — what to watch before CPI and Feb earnings

Telstra share price slips as rate-hike bets rise — what to watch before CPI and Feb earnings

Sydney, Jan 6, 2026, 18:17 AEDT — Market closed Telstra Group Ltd shares closed down 0.4% at A$4.82 on Tuesday, after trading between A$4.79 and A$4.85. The stock finished 2 Australian cents below its prior close of A$4.84. Investing.com The drift lower comes as investors brace for Australia’s monthly consumer price index report for November, due on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Markets have priced a 39% chance of an interest-rate hike as soon as February, while economists forecast inflation easing to 3.7% from 3.8% and the trimmed mean — a core gauge that strips out extreme price moves — staying above
6 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

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

7 February 2026
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.
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.
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