Vodafone share price dips near 52-week high as Centrica deal, buyback keep VOD in focus

Vodafone share price dips near 52-week high as Centrica deal, buyback keep VOD in focus

Vodafone shares slipped 0.6% to about 105 pence in early London trade Wednesday, after nearing a 52-week high. The company announced a four-year IT and connectivity deal with Centrica covering 80 sites and 30,000 devices. Vodafone bought over 2.5 million shares for treasury on Jan. 27 at an average 105.17 pence. Q3 FY26 trading update and interim dividend payment are set for Feb. 5.
28 January 2026
Aviva share price rises as UBS says insurer is “better protected” ahead of March results

Aviva share price rises as UBS says insurer is “better protected” ahead of March results

Aviva shares rose 0.9% to 631.6 pence in early London trading after UBS named it its top UK life insurer pick over Legal & General. Investors await Aviva’s March 5 results for updates on buybacks and Direct Line integration. UBS set a 750p target, citing Aviva’s strong solvency and capital generation. Aviva expects over £500 million in capital synergies from the Direct Line deal by end-2026.
28 January 2026
3i Group share price inches up as RBC’s Action warning hangs over stock

3i Group share price inches up as RBC’s Action warning hangs over stock

3i Group shares rose 0.35% to 3,146p Wednesday after a sharp 4.86% drop on Monday. RBC downgraded the stock to “Underperform,” citing risk of “diminishing returns” at key holding Action and cut its price target to 3,000p. Barclays trimmed its target but kept an “overweight” rating. Investors await Thursday’s trading update for details on Action and net asset value.
28 January 2026
Babcock share price edges up after new buyback filing, near 52-week high

Babcock share price edges up after new buyback filing, near 52-week high

Babcock shares rose about 1% to 1,509p in early London trading after the company disclosed it repurchased 15,093 shares on Jan. 27. The stock traded between 1,500.66p and 1,518p, just below its 52-week high. Total buybacks since July 24 reached 7.93 million shares, costing £88.47 million. Traders are watching for further contract announcements and procurement signals.
28 January 2026
Gold breaks $5,300 as dollar hits 4-year low; mining stocks jump ahead of Fed call

Gold breaks $5,300 as dollar hits 4-year low; mining stocks jump ahead of Fed call

Gold surged past $5,300 an ounce for the first time Wednesday as the dollar hit near four-year lows and traders awaited the Fed’s next move. Spot gold rose 2.3% to $5,305.65 by 0832 GMT, with U.S. futures up 4.3%. Miners Newmont and Barrick rallied, while some investors warned of “overbought” signals in commodities. Banks raised gold forecasts, citing tariffs, geopolitics, and demand for non-dollar assets.
28 January 2026
Fresnillo share price climbs after Q4 production report — but 2026 output guidance gets cut

Fresnillo share price climbs after Q4 production report — but 2026 output guidance gets cut

Fresnillo shares rose 2.1% to 4,226 pence in early London trading after the miner cut its 2026 silver and gold production forecasts. The company reported Q4 output of 12.16 million ounces of silver and 135,192 ounces of gold. Gold prices hit a record $5,200 an ounce Wednesday, while silver surged 7.7% Tuesday. Fresnillo cited mine plan changes and operational shifts for the lower guidance.

Stock Market Today

IREN stock heads into Monday after 5% rebound as Microsoft AI financing stays in focus

IREN stock heads into Monday after 5% rebound as Microsoft AI financing stays in focus

7 February 2026
IREN shares closed up 5.1% at $41.83 Friday after reporting a $155.4 million quarterly loss and $184.7 million in revenue. The company announced $3.6 billion in GPU financing for its Microsoft contract, with $2.8 billion in cash as of Jan. 31. Bitcoin mining revenue fell, while AI cloud services rose. Traders await bitcoin’s weekend move and Monday’s market reaction.
Cadence Bank stock is stuck at $42.11 after Huntington deal — what CADE holders watch next week

Cadence Bank stock is stuck at $42.11 after Huntington deal — what CADE holders watch next week

7 February 2026
Cadence Bank shares have been delisted following Huntington Bancshares’ takeover, with each Cadence share converted into 2.475 Huntington shares. Huntington closed Friday at $19.27 and named Senthil Kumar as chief risk officer ahead of new regulatory requirements. The merger leaves Cadence as a brand under Huntington, with customer account conversions planned for mid-2026. Huntington executives will address investors at a UBS conference on Tuesday.
NIO stock jumps on profit alert, with Monday’s open in focus

NIO stock jumps on profit alert, with Monday’s open in focus

7 February 2026
NIO shares jumped 7.23% to $5.04 Friday after the company forecast a swing to adjusted operating profit of up to 1.2 billion yuan for the fourth quarter. Trading volume reached 90.8 million shares, far above average. Nio’s deliveries rose 72% to 124,807 vehicles in the quarter. The company said results are preliminary and unaudited, with final figures due in March.
Go toTop