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.

Barclays PLC Stock (BARC.L) Near 52-Week High as BoE Rate Cut Looms: Buyback Update, Evelyn Partners Deal Talk, and Analyst Targets

Barclays PLC Stock (BARC.L) Near 52-Week High as BoE Rate Cut Looms: Buyback Update, Evelyn Partners Deal Talk, and Analyst Targets

LONDON — 18 December 2025 — Barclays PLC stock is ending the year with momentum, hovering around the mid‑460s in pence and repeatedly testing fresh highs, as investors weigh a pivotal macro backdrop against very company-specific catalysts: an active share buyback, renewed attention on UK financial regulation, and ongoing market chatter about a potential wealth-management acquisition. Barclays (LSE: BARC, Reuters ticker BARC.L; NYSE ADR: BCS) has benefited from a broader rerating of European and UK bank stocks in 2025—helped by resilient earnings, shareholder returns, and a growing belief that the sector can defend profitability even as interest rates drift lower.
18 December 2025
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Shell Plc Stock (SHEL) Today: Dividend Payment, Buybacks, New Projects and Analyst Forecasts — Dec. 18, 2025

Shell Plc Stock (SHEL) Today: Dividend Payment, Buybacks, New Projects and Analyst Forecasts — Dec. 18, 2025

Shell Plc stock is back in the spotlight on Thursday as a rebound in oil prices collides with a busy run of company developments—ranging from a dividend payment date and continued share buybacks to fresh project approvals, portfolio moves in Europe, and new drilling plans offshore Namibia. In early pricing, Shell’s U.S.-listed ADR (NYSE: SHEL) last traded around $71.55. Meanwhile, crude benchmarks were higher in Asian trading after renewed geopolitical risk headlines: WTI rose to about $56.38/bbl and Brent to about $60.10/bbl (at 0256 GMT), with markets weighing potential new U.S. sanctions on Russian energy and the practical impact of
18 December 2025
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Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) Share Price, News and Forecast: BoE Rate Cut and Motor Finance Risk in Focus

Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) Share Price, News and Forecast: BoE Rate Cut and Motor Finance Risk in Focus

18 December 2025 — Lloyds Banking Group plc (LSE: LLOY, NYSE ADR: LYG) is back in the spotlight as investors weigh a pivotal UK macro moment against a stubborn company-specific overhang: the Bank of England’s expected interest-rate cut and the still-evolving motor finance redress bill. Lloyds shares traded around 95.5p on Thursday, with the session’s range clustered in the mid‑90s and the 52‑week range spanning roughly 52p to 98p. Investing.com+1 That keeps the stock close to the upper end of its one‑year band after a strong 2025 run, while setting up what could be a decisive winter test: can capital
18 December 2025
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Unilever PLC Stock (UL, ULVR) on 18.12.2025: Analyst Forecasts, Magnum Spin-Off Fallout, and What Investors Watch Next

Unilever PLC Stock (UL, ULVR) on 18.12.2025: Analyst Forecasts, Magnum Spin-Off Fallout, and What Investors Watch Next

LONDON / NEW YORK — 18 December 2025. Unilever PLC stock is entering a new phase after one of its biggest structural moves in years: the demerger of its ice cream business into The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC) and the follow-on share consolidation for Unilever shareholders. Markets are now trying to answer a deceptively simple question with very non-simple inputs: is the “new Unilever” (more Beauty, Personal Care, and Wellbeing; less cold-chain logistics) a cleaner, faster-growth consumer staples compounder—or just a slimmer version of the same old battle? Reuters+2Unilever+2 On the US line (NYSE ADR: UL), Unilever last traded
18 December 2025
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BP PLC Stock News Today (Dec. 18, 2025): CEO Shake‑Up, Meg O’Neill Named Successor, and Why BP Shares Are Back in Play

BP PLC Stock News Today (Dec. 18, 2025): CEO Shake‑Up, Meg O’Neill Named Successor, and Why BP Shares Are Back in Play

BP PLC stock (LSE: BP.; NYSE: BP) is the kind of name that can drift into the background when oil is boring and the strategy is stable. December 18, 2025 is not one of those days. A surprise leadership change has put BP back on traders’ “must-watch” screens: BP confirmed that CEO Murray Auchincloss is stepping down effective today (Thursday, Dec. 18), with long-time BP executive Carol Howle taking over as interim CEO. The board has appointed Woodside Energy chief Meg O’Neill as the next permanent CEO, effective April 1, 2026. Investegate+2Reuters+2 BP’s London-listed shares were trading around the mid‑420s
18 December 2025
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Finnair to Launch Daily Melbourne–Helsinki Flights via Bangkok in October 2026, Making Melbourne Its First Australian Gateway

Finnair to Launch Daily Melbourne–Helsinki Flights via Bangkok in October 2026, Making Melbourne Its First Australian Gateway

Finnair has announced its first-ever scheduled passenger service to Australia, unveiling daily flights between Helsinki and Melbourne via Bangkok from late October 2026. The new route, revealed on Thursday, December 18, 2025 (Australia time), will be operated by Airbus A350 aircraft and will place Melbourne at the centre of Finnair’s long-haul expansion into a new continent. Cision News+2Melbourne Airport+2 For Australian travellers, the move adds another one-stop option into Europe—particularly Northern Europe, the Nordics and the Baltics—while also opening up a new competitor on the busy Melbourne–Bangkok corridor. For Victoria, leaders are positioning the service as a tourism and trade
18 December 2025
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GSK Stock News Today (Dec. 18, 2025): Buyback Update, New FDA Approvals, and Analyst Forecasts for GSK plc

GSK Stock News Today (Dec. 18, 2025): Buyback Update, New FDA Approvals, and Analyst Forecasts for GSK plc

GSK plc (LSE: GSK; NYSE: GSK) is ending 2025 with a busy headline tape—exactly the kind of environment where investors tend to re-check both the “story” and the spreadsheet. On Thursday, December 18, 2025, GSK published a fresh share buyback update, while markets continue to digest a string of regulatory milestones across respiratory, vaccines, and infectious diseases that could shape the company’s growth profile into 2026. Below is what’s new as of 18.12.2025, what analysts are forecasting, and what matters most for GSK stock next. GSK stock snapshot on Dec. 18, 2025 In US trading, GSK’s ADR (NYSE: GSK) was
18 December 2025
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Rolls-Royce (RR.L) Stock News Today: £200m Buyback, Analyst Targets, and 2026 Catalysts (Dec. 18, 2025)

Rolls-Royce (RR.L) Stock News Today: £200m Buyback, Analyst Targets, and 2026 Catalysts (Dec. 18, 2025)

London — December 18, 2025 — Rolls-Royce Holdings plc shares have spent much of 2025 doing what jet engines do best: generating thrust. The stock’s big re-rating has put it back on the everyday investor radar, but the story in late December isn’t just “up a lot.” It’s why it’s up, what management is doing with the cash, and which parts of the business could keep surprising (or disappoint) as the company heads into full-year results season. As of December 18, Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR.) was trading around 1,102p, within a 1,101p–1,129.5p day range, and inside a 52-week range of 557p–1,195p,
18 December 2025
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Rio Tinto plc Stock (RIO): UBS Highlights Argentina Lithium Upside as Simandou Exports Begin and a $10B Divestment Plan Takes Shape

Rio Tinto plc Stock (RIO): UBS Highlights Argentina Lithium Upside as Simandou Exports Begin and a $10B Divestment Plan Takes Shape

Dec. 18, 2025 — Rio Tinto plc stock is back in the spotlight today as investors weigh a new lithium-focused take from UBS against fresh reporting from Guinea’s Simandou iron ore mega-project and the miner’s broader strategy reset under CEO Simon Trott. On the Australia-listed line (RIO:AX), shares rose as much as 1.8% to a record high of A$143.89, after UBS said its confidence has increased in Rio Tinto’s lithium strategy following a deep dive into the company’s Argentina brine assets. UBS kept a neutral stance and an A$140 price target, noting execution discipline remains decisive even as the lithium
18 December 2025
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Bank of England Set to Cut Interest Rates to 3.75% After UK Inflation Drops to 3.2% — What It Means for Mortgages, Savings and Markets

Bank of England Set to Cut Interest Rates to 3.75% After UK Inflation Drops to 3.2% — What It Means for Mortgages, Savings and Markets

Borrowers could get an early Christmas boost today as the Bank of England prepares to lower the UK Bank Rate from 4% to 3.75%, a move widely seen as the most likely outcome after a sharper-than-expected fall in inflation and fresh signs that the economy is losing momentum. Reuters+2The Guardian+2 The decision, due at 12pm UK time on Thursday, 18 December 2025, would be the fourth interest-rate reduction of 2025 and the sixth cut in the current easing cycle, after policymakers paused in November with a split vote. Reuters+2Bank of England+2 Why a Bank of England rate cut now looks
18 December 2025
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UK Stock Market Today (18 December 2025): FTSE 100 Set for a Cautious Open as BoE Rate Cut Looms; BP CEO Shock and Currys Results in Focus

UK Stock Market Today (18 December 2025): FTSE 100 Set for a Cautious Open as BoE Rate Cut Looms; BP CEO Shock and Currys Results in Focus

London, 18 December 2025 — The United Kingdom stock market is starting the day on a cautious footing, with the FTSE 100 expected to edge slightly lower at the open as investors brace for a high-impact mix of Bank of England policy, fresh US inflation data, and a global risk mood unsettled by renewed tech-sector “AI spending” jitters. TradingView+2Reuters+2 While the mood is wary, London equities remain supported by two powerful domestic tailwinds: a sharp downside surprise in UK inflation that has pushed rate-cut expectations close to “fully priced”, and a heavyweight energy sector that may benefit from rebounding oil
18 December 2025
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HSBC Holdings Plc Stock News Today (Dec. 18, 2025): Dividend Lands, Shares Hold Near Highs as Hang Seng Deal and Rate Cuts Shape the Outlook

HSBC Holdings Plc Stock News Today (Dec. 18, 2025): Dividend Lands, Shares Hold Near Highs as Hang Seng Deal and Rate Cuts Shape the Outlook

HSBC Holdings Plc stock is starting Dec. 18 with two narratives colliding in a very “2025 markets” way: cash coming back to shareholders today via a dividend payment, and a forward-looking debate over what happens next as central banks edge toward lower rates and HSBC pursues a major Hong Kong restructuring move. On the screen, HSBC looks steady and strong. Under the hood, investors are weighing a temporary buyback pause tied to the planned Hang Seng Bank take-private, a push into productivity tools like generative AI, and a set of legal and macro risks that will matter much more once
18 December 2025
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Stock Market Today

Seagate (STX) stock jumps nearly 6% as Citi hikes target — what to watch next week

Seagate (STX) stock jumps nearly 6% as Citi hikes target — what to watch next week

7 February 2026
Seagate shares rose 5.9% to $429.32 Friday after Citigroup raised its price target to $480 and reiterated a buy rating. The gain ended a two-day slide but left the stock 6.6% below its Feb. 3 high. CEO Dave Mosley sold 20,000 shares on Feb. 2 under a pre-arranged plan, SEC filings show. U.S. jobs and inflation data next week are seen as key tests for tech stocks.
Cummins (CMI) stock price rebounds after earnings whipsaw as investors eye data-center power demand

Cummins (CMI) stock price rebounds after earnings whipsaw as investors eye data-center power demand

7 February 2026
Cummins shares jumped 6.8% to $577.73 Friday, recovering from a nearly 9% post-earnings drop the day before. The company reported Q4 revenue up 1% to $8.54 billion, took a $218 million charge tied to its hydrogen business, and guided for 2026 EBITDA of 17–18% of sales. Demand for data center generators offset weakness in North American truck markets. Analyst reaction was mixed; Truist raised its price target.
Corning stock hits first record close since 2000 as jobs, CPI data loom

Corning stock hits first record close since 2000 as jobs, CPI data loom

7 February 2026
Corning shares surged 8.3% to $122.16 Friday, their highest close since the dot-com era, after Meta agreed to buy up to $6 billion in fiber-optic cables. The stock is up 40% since late 2025, fueled by strong first-quarter guidance and AI data-center demand. Insiders sold shares following the rally, SEC filings show. Investors await next week’s U.S. jobs and inflation data for rate signals.
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