Today: 7 February 2026
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Ashtead Group share price: Buyback filing keeps traders focused as London heads into Monday

Ashtead Group share price: Buyback filing keeps traders focused as London heads into Monday

London, Jan 17, 2026, 09:15 GMT — Market closed. Ashtead Group shares dipped 22 pence, or 0.41%, ending Friday at 5,302 pence in London. During the session, the stock fluctuated between 5,268 and 5,346 pence. (Investing.com) Ashtead’s ongoing wave of buyback announcements is crucial as the equipment rental giant aims to highlight cash returns ahead of its planned move to list primarily on the New York Stock Exchange. The company, which operates as Sunbelt Rentals, is already the second-largest equipment rental firm in the U.S. (Reuters) On Friday, a regulatory filing revealed Ashtead purchased 72,300 ordinary shares for treasury on
17 January 2026
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Standard Chartered share price hits new 52-week high — what to watch for STAN.L on Monday

Standard Chartered share price hits new 52-week high — what to watch for STAN.L on Monday

London, Jan 17, 2026, 09:15 GMT — Market closed. Standard Chartered shares ended Friday at 1,878.5 pence, gaining 1.5% and hitting a fresh 52-week peak. The stock outperformed a largely unchanged broader market. (MarketWatch) Standard Chartered is now considering selling its entire Botswana operation, not just its wealth and retail units, the country’s central bank revealed. The sale could take 12 to 15 months, with the regulator set to supervise the handover. Standard Chartered is exploring options for its credit-card business in India, including a possible sale, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the situation. (Morningstar) Stepping aside from deal
17 January 2026
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Vodafone stock weekend watch: buyback filing and Feb. 5 update set the next moves

Vodafone stock weekend watch: buyback filing and Feb. 5 update set the next moves

London, Jan 17, 2026, 09:15 GMT — Market closed. Vodafone (VOD.L) closed Friday at 100.80 pence, edging up 0.05% after moving between 100.40 and 101.40 pence during the session. The stock remains close to its 52-week peak of 104.15 pence, with London markets now closed for the weekend. (Investing.com) This is significant as Vodafone has increased its focus on shareholder returns amid its restructuring efforts. Buybacks often help stabilize trading during slow periods. The company has announced plans for share repurchases worth up to 2 billion euros, funded by the sale of Vodafone Spain and Vodafone Italy. It also follows
17 January 2026
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EPFO’s UPI withdrawal plan could roll out by April — plus “Suvidha” helpers to fix PF snags

EPFO’s UPI withdrawal plan could roll out by April — plus “Suvidha” helpers to fix PF snags

New Delhi, January 17, 2026, 14:24 IST India’s Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is set to allow subscribers to transfer a portion of their provident fund savings directly into their bank accounts via the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) by April, a senior source told PTI. Subscribers will authenticate these transfers using their UPI PIN, the source added. (Moneycontrol) This change is significant for a retirement fund system that manages millions of withdrawals and complaints, with workers frequently needing cash urgently for things like illness, housing, or education. EPFO handles over five crore claims annually, mostly withdrawal-related. Officials say the move
17 January 2026
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Experian share price slips into the weekend as dividend FX set — what to watch next week

Experian share price slips into the weekend as dividend FX set — what to watch next week

London, Jan 17, 2026, 09:05 GMT — Market closed. Experian (EXPN) shares ended Friday down 1.02%, closing at 3,296 pence. The dip came as the credit data company announced the exchange rate for its first interim dividend ahead of the weekend. (MarketScreener) The next big moment for the stock is coming up soon. Experian plans to report third-quarter trading for FY26 on Jan. 21. Back in November, CEO Brian Cassin told investors to expect full-year total revenue growth around 11% and organic growth near 8% — “at the top end” of its earlier forecast. (FT Markets) The dividend update highlights
17 January 2026
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SpaceX’s NROL-105 launch puts new U.S. spy satellites in orbit as NRO ramps up “proliferated” fleet

SpaceX’s NROL-105 launch puts new U.S. spy satellites in orbit as NRO ramps up “proliferated” fleet

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, California, Jan 17, 2026, 00:42 PST SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 rocket skyward late Friday, carrying an unknown number of U.S. reconnaissance satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office. The first-stage booster touched down safely back at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/01/16/live-coverage-nro-spacex-to-launch-reconnaissance-satellites-from-vandenberg/ This mission is key to the NRO’s push for a “proliferated architecture” — moving away from a few large, costly satellites that risk total failure, toward a network of many smaller ones. The agency envisions a constellation of hundreds of satellites, with launches scheduled through 2029. Friday’s launch, called NROL-105, blasted off at
17 January 2026
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BAE Systems share price: buyback filing and Ukraine jitters set up Monday trade

BAE Systems share price: buyback filing and Ukraine jitters set up Monday trade

London, Jan 17, 2026, 08:50 GMT — Market closed BAE Systems plc (BA.) shares closed Friday up 2.3% at 2,088p, outperforming a flat FTSE 100 as the weekend approached. Trading volume hit 5.6 million shares, below the 50-day average, indicating a sentiment-driven push rather than heavy liquidity demand. (MarketWatch) London has closed, but Friday’s action holds weight as defence stocks are increasingly a shortcut for investors betting on geopolitics and government budgets. BAE is also trimming its share count with buybacks, a tactic that can boost earnings per share even if revenue growth slows. That combination has the power to
17 January 2026
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NatWest share price ends week up 2% at 652.8p as buybacks run; BoE decision, results ahead

NatWest share price ends week up 2% at 652.8p as buybacks run; BoE decision, results ahead

London, January 17, 2026, 08:53 (GMT) — Market closed. NatWest Group Plc shares ended Friday at 652.8 pence (6.53 pounds), rising 2.16%. London markets were closed over the weekend. The stock fluctuated between 636.6p and 652.8p, with roughly 18.5 million shares traded. (Investing.com) NatWest has jumped back into the rate trade ahead of the Bank of England’s upcoming Bank Rate decision on Feb. 5. The benchmark currently stands at 3.75%. (Bank of England) NatWest has marked a key date: the bank will release its 2025 annual results at 7 a.m. GMT on Friday, Feb. 13. Investors are keen to see
17 January 2026
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BP share price ends higher; buyback and offshore wind shift set up next week for BP stock

BP share price ends higher; buyback and offshore wind shift set up next week for BP stock

LONDON, Jan 17, 2026, 08:47 GMT — Market closed. BP shares ended Friday’s session up 0.5%, settling at 440.25 pence in London ahead of the weekend. (Yahoo Finance) With markets closed, traders will look to two familiar catalysts for BP on Monday: crude prices and the company’s ongoing stream of capital-return news. That’s typically where the next move begins. Oil prices dipped on Friday as concerns over a potential U.S. strike on Iran softened, dragging Brent crude down 21 cents to $63.55 a barrel and U.S. crude off 15 cents to $59.04 during Asian trading. Such headline shifts can quickly
17 January 2026
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National Grid stock hits a fresh 52-week high — here’s what matters before Monday

National Grid stock hits a fresh 52-week high — here’s what matters before Monday

London, Jan 17, 2026, 08:55 GMT — The market has closed. National Grid (NG.L) shares climbed 1.74% to close at 1,201.5 pence on Friday, hitting a fresh 52-week peak. The stock saw heavier-than-usual volume, outpacing the broader FTSE 100, which slipped. (MarketWatch) London markets are closed for the weekend, leaving the utility poised to open next week at a key round-number level that traders monitor, near the peak of its recent trading range. That’s crucial now, as rate bets have been driving performance in defensive, dividend-paying stocks. Utilities often act as “bond proxies,” a term for shares that shine when
17 January 2026
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Unilever stock dips into the weekend: what ULVR investors watch next week

Unilever stock dips into the weekend: what ULVR investors watch next week

London, Jan 17, 2026, 08:38 GMT — Market closed Unilever’s shares edged lower ahead of the weekend, finishing Friday down 0.4% at 4,761.5 pence. The stock fluctuated between 4,750.5 and 4,799.0 pence on a turnover of roughly 3.3 million shares. (shareprices.com) With markets closed, focus moves beyond Friday’s modest move to Unilever’s next update on demand and pricing. Investors want to know if growth stems from higher sales volumes or just increased prices. That’s important now since consumer-staples stocks have served as a safe haven during the rally earlier this year. With the broader market near its highs and earnings
17 January 2026
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3i Group share price swings on Action France sales signal — what to watch before Monday

3i Group share price swings on Action France sales signal — what to watch before Monday

London, Jan 17, 2026, 08:34 GMT — Market closed. 3i Group (III.L) shares ended Friday at 3,361 pence, up 20 pence, or 0.6%, from Thursday’s close after trading between 3,316 and 3,395 pence. With London markets shut for the weekend, traders will test Monday whether the bounce has legs. (Investing.com) The spark came on Thursday. UBS data pointed to a pick-up in sales in France at Action, 3i’s largest portfolio company, and the stock jumped about 10% as the FTSE 100 closed at a record after stronger UK growth data. Axel Rudolph, senior financial analyst at IG, called the GDP
17 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

Amazon’s $200B AI Spending Jolt Spurs Stock Selloff as Big Tech Capex Nears $650B

Amazon’s $200B AI Spending Jolt Spurs Stock Selloff as Big Tech Capex Nears $650B

7 February 2026
Amazon shares fell Friday after the company announced a $200 billion AI infrastructure plan for 2026, exceeding analyst expectations and reviving investor concerns about profitability. Combined 2026 capex flagged by Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Meta now tops $630 billion. Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom shares surged on the news, while software and data firms remained under pressure.
Nvidia stock jumps nearly 8% as Big Tech AI spending bets lift chipmakers and Dow tops 50,000

Nvidia stock jumps nearly 8% as Big Tech AI spending bets lift chipmakers and Dow tops 50,000

7 February 2026
Nvidia surged 7.8% Friday, leading a chip stock rally that pushed the Dow above 50,000 for the first time. The PHLX semiconductor index gained 5.7% as Advanced Micro Devices rose 8.3% and Broadcom 7.1%. Amazon fell 5.6% after projecting $200 billion in 2026 capital spending. Investors weighed a $600 billion AI infrastructure outlay against sharp losses in software shares.
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