British American Tobacco share price barely budges after buyback update as South Africa plant closure hits focus

British American Tobacco share price barely budges after buyback update as South Africa plant closure hits focus

British American Tobacco shares slipped 0.1% to 4,336.5 pence in early London trading after announcing a new buyback and plans to close its South African cigarette factory by end-2026. The Heidelberg closure threatens about 230 jobs as illicit cigarettes now dominate 75% of the local market. BAT bought 100,090 shares on Jan. 15 for cancellation. Full-year 2025 results are due Feb. 12.
3i Group share price holds steady after UBS flags Action sales pickup in France

3i Group share price holds steady after UBS flags Action sales pickup in France

3i Group shares held steady at 3,341 pence in early London trading after a 10% surge Thursday on signs of rising sales at Action, its largest portfolio company. Trading volume reached about 103,000 shares. Investors are focused on Action’s performance in France ahead of 3i’s Q3 update on January 29. The stock remains below its 52-week high.
LSEG share price today: London Stock Exchange Group dips after 24/7 Digital Settlement House debut, AWS pact

LSEG share price today: London Stock Exchange Group dips after 24/7 Digital Settlement House debut, AWS pact

London Stock Exchange Group shares slipped 0.1% to 9,080 pence early Friday after launching its Digital Settlement House platform and expanding its AWS partnership. LSEG repurchased 110,373 shares at an average 9,060.20 pence on Jan. 15. The new DiSH service aims for instant settlement using tokenised commercial bank deposits. Broader European markets edged lower as mining stocks fell.
Rolls-Royce stock eyes Friday open after fresh buyback filing, with RR shares near records

Rolls-Royce stock eyes Friday open after fresh buyback filing, with RR shares near records

Rolls-Royce repurchased 460,628 shares Thursday as part of its £200 million interim buyback, buying at prices between 1,264.0 and 1,286.5 pence. The stock closed at 1,273 pence, down 0.16%. Another 592,400 shares were bought back Wednesday. Investors await full-year results on Feb. 26 for updates on future capital returns.
Lloyds share price: BoE cuts big-bank oversight as Lloyds results loom after Thursday rally

Lloyds share price: BoE cuts big-bank oversight as Lloyds results loom after Thursday rally

Lloyds Banking Group shares closed Thursday at 102.20p, up 1.20p and near a 52-week high. UK regulators announced they will cut formal meetings with major banks to once every two years. Two ex-Bank of England officials criticized recent moves to lower capital requirements, warning of increased risk. Lloyds will report preliminary 2025 results on Jan. 29.
NatWest share price in focus: NWG ends higher after buyback update as UK banks ride GDP bounce

NatWest share price in focus: NWG ends higher after buyback update as UK banks ride GDP bounce

NatWest shares rose 1.4% to 639 pence Thursday after the bank announced new share buybacks at an average price of 640.29 pence. The FTSE 100 closed at a record high, led by gains in major UK banks. UK GDP grew 0.3% in November, rebounding from October’s decline. Investors await next week’s labour and inflation data for clues on Bank of England rate cuts.
HSBC stock price in focus as Singapore insurance review revives sale talk before London open

HSBC stock price in focus as Singapore insurance review revives sale talk before London open

HSBC has launched a strategic review of its Singapore insurance unit, considering options including a possible sale that could fetch over $1 billion. Shares rose nearly 2% in early Hong Kong trading and closed up 1.96% in London. The bank said no decisions have been made and more details are expected with its annual results on Feb. 25.
Glencore share price: GLEN.L in focus as China hurdles shadow Rio Tinto deal talk

Glencore share price: GLEN.L in focus as China hurdles shadow Rio Tinto deal talk

Glencore shares opened cautiously after a Reuters report said any Rio Tinto deal may require asset sales to satisfy Chinese regulators, with copper and iron ore flagged as key issues. Glencore closed Thursday at 491.0 pence, up 1.4%. Rio Tinto faces a Feb. 5 deadline to make a firm offer or walk away. Societe Generale disclosed a 1.60% long and 1.16% short position in Glencore as of Jan. 14.
Rio Tinto stock price in focus: China approval risk hangs over Glencore talks

Rio Tinto stock price in focus: China approval risk hangs over Glencore talks

Rio Tinto shares closed at 6,468 pence Thursday, up 1.78%, after a volatile session. Analysts warn China may require asset sales for any Rio-Glencore merger, citing concerns over copper market share. Rio announced a two-year copper supply deal with Amazon and signed a new collaboration plan with BHP on Pilbara iron ore. BlackRock disclosed stakes in Rio under UK takeover rules.
DBS lifts ST Engineering target to S$10.20 as investors rotate into defence, maintenance plays

DBS lifts ST Engineering target to S$10.20 as investors rotate into defence, maintenance plays

ST Engineering shares traded near S$9.54 Friday afternoon after hitting new highs this month. DBS raised its target price to S$10.20 and kept a “buy” rating, citing strong aerospace maintenance demand and steady defence spending. Investors are watching for new orders ahead of the Singapore Airshow in early February.
Sembcorp Industries share price rises as Alinta Energy vote nears and FY2025 results date set

Sembcorp Industries share price rises as Alinta Energy vote nears and FY2025 results date set

Sembcorp shares rose 2% to S$6.10 by midday Friday in Singapore as investors awaited a Jan. 30 shareholder vote on its proposed A$5.6 billion cash acquisition of Alinta Energy. The company will release FY2025 results on Feb. 25. Sembcorp said the deal would raise earnings but increase emissions intensity, missing its 2028 and 2030 climate targets. About 3.7 million shares traded by midday.

Stock Market Today

Caterpillar stock price jumps 7% to $726 as Dow cracks 50,000 — what matters next week

Caterpillar stock price jumps 7% to $726 as Dow cracks 50,000 — what matters next week

7 February 2026
Caterpillar shares surged 7.1% to $726.20 Friday, driving the Dow above 50,000 for the first time. The move erased recent losses and followed insider selling by Group President Bob De Lange earlier in the week. Deere and CNH Industrial also gained as investors rotated into industrial stocks. Markets await next week’s U.S. jobs and inflation data.
Amazon stock slides as $200B AI spending plan meets cautious profit outlook

Amazon stock slides as $200B AI spending plan meets cautious profit outlook

7 February 2026
Amazon shares fell 9% Friday after the company announced plans for $200 billion in 2026 capital spending, mainly for AWS and AI, and issued a first-quarter profit outlook below estimates. The stock drop could erase $200 billion in market value. Fourth-quarter net sales rose 14% to $213.4 billion, while free cash flow declined due to higher spending on AI infrastructure.
Go toTop