Today: 7 February 2026
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Jefferies lifts Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest price targets as UK bank rally rolls into 2026

Jefferies lifts Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest price targets as UK bank rally rolls into 2026

LONDON, Jan 8, 2026, 09:26 (GMT) Jefferies has raised its price targets on Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and NatWest Group, arguing there is still room for UK bank shares to climb despite a sharp run-up. The broker lifted its target on Barclays by 19% to 560p, Lloyds by 13% to 119p and NatWest by 14% to 720p, interactive investor reported. https://www.ii.co.uk/analysis-commentary/new-price-targets-lloyds-bank-barclays-natwest-and-others-ii537727 The calls matter because UK lenders were a major driver of last year’s gains in London’s benchmark index and are a bigger part of many portfolios than they used to be. Jefferies said it was getting harder for underweight
8 January 2026
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Scottish village’s last bar goes on the market as Hillside Hotel near Montrose seeks buyer

Scottish village’s last bar goes on the market as Hillside Hotel near Montrose seeks buyer

MONTROSE, Scotland, January 8, 2026, 09:22 (GMT) The Hillside Hotel in the Angus village of Hillside, near Montrose, has been put up for sale for offers in excess of £280,000, a property listing showed. The marketing describes a recently refurbished hotel and public bar with eight en-suite letting rooms and a car park. PropList The sale matters in a place like Hillside because there is not much slack. The Courier reported on Wednesday that owner Catherine Braes is selling up what it called the village’s final bar and hotel after 13 years. The Courier The hotel trades as Hillside Hotel
8 January 2026
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IAG stock edges up as Bernstein lifts target and Morgan Stanley flags cash returns

IAG stock edges up as Bernstein lifts target and Morgan Stanley flags cash returns

London, Jan 8, 2026, 09:29 GMT — Regular session Shares in British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) rose 0.7% to about 435 pence on Thursday, extending a strong run after Bernstein lifted its target price on the airline group. MarketScreener The move matters now because IAG has become a crowded Europe travel trade, with investors looking for proof that high fares and a tighter aircraft market can keep feeding cash flow. The next big test is IAG’s FY-2025 results, due on Feb. 27. iairgroup.com Morgan Stanley, in a note on Tuesday launching coverage of IAG’s U.S.-listed ADRs, pointed
8 January 2026
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GSK share price slips as hepatitis B drug headline leaves investors wanting the numbers

GSK share price slips as hepatitis B drug headline leaves investors wanting the numbers

London, Jan 8, 2026, 09:12 GMT — Regular session GSK (GSK.L) shares slipped on Thursday as investors weighed upbeat headlines on its experimental hepatitis B therapy against a lack of hard cure-rate data. The stock was down 0.9% at 1,883.5 pence in London trade, after moving between 1,880 and 1,896.5 pence and staying near the top of its 52-week range. Investing.com+1 GSK said two Phase III trials of bepirovirsen met their primary endpoint — the main goal set before the studies began — and delivered a statistically significant “functional cure” rate on top of standard treatment. A functional cure, as
8 January 2026
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NatWest share price edges higher after Barclays downgrade jolt; buybacks, Feb. 13 results in focus

NatWest share price edges higher after Barclays downgrade jolt; buybacks, Feb. 13 results in focus

London, Jan 8, 2026, 09:22 GMT — Regular session NatWest Group (NWG.L) shares were up 0.6% at 636.2 pence on Thursday, after opening lower and trading between 625.0p and 637.2p on a 15-minute delay. The stock is about 6% below Tuesday’s 52-week peak of 674.2p. London South East The move comes a day after NatWest slid 4.3% when Barclays downgraded the lender to “equal-weight” from “overweight” — broker shorthand for stepping back to a neutral view from a buy-leaning one. Heavyweight banks dragged the FTSE 100 lower in that session. Reuters Investors are now trying to work out whether the
8 January 2026
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Barclays shares edge up after Ubyx stablecoin stake and fresh buyback update

Barclays shares edge up after Ubyx stablecoin stake and fresh buyback update

London, January 8, 2026, 09:18 GMT — Regular session Barclays (BARC.L) shares were up 0.7% at 482.9 pence by 0854 GMT, after ending Wednesday at 479.55p. The stock traded in a 476.70p–483.20p range and remains below its 52-week high of 492.95p. SharePrices Barclays said on Wednesday it had taken a stake in U.S. stablecoin-settlement company Ubyx, its first investment in a stablecoin-related business. Ubyx runs a clearing system for stablecoins — cryptocurrencies designed to track mainstream currencies 1:1 — and Barclays did not disclose the size of the investment. The bank was among 10 lenders, including Goldman Sachs and UBS,
8 January 2026
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Unilever PLC stock hits a fresh 52-week low as Jefferies stays wary ahead of February results

Unilever PLC stock hits a fresh 52-week low as Jefferies stays wary ahead of February results

London, Jan 8, 2026, 09:02 GMT — Regular session Unilever PLC (ULVR.L) shares fell 0.7% to 4,599.6 pence by 0902 GMT, after touching 4,584.5 pence, the bottom of their 52-week range. The FTSE 100 was down about 0.2% and peer Reckitt Benckiser was up about 0.8%. Google+1 The slide follows a 2.4% drop on Wednesday, when Unilever closed at £46.31 and lagged the wider market. The stock is about 16% below its Dec. 19 high, with trading volume running below recent averages, MarketWatch data showed. MarketWatch Broker notes were adding to the caution. Jefferies analyst David Hayes reiterated an “underperform”
8 January 2026
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Compass Group shares hit a 12-month low early as London market slips; dividend clock ticks

Compass Group shares hit a 12-month low early as London market slips; dividend clock ticks

London, Jan 8, 2026, 09:17 GMT — Regular session Compass Group shares slid early on Thursday and briefly hit a 12-month low before paring losses, tracking a softer tone across London equities. The caterer’s stock was down 0.8% at 2,314 pence by 0902 GMT after opening at 2,249p, which also marked the bottom of its 52-week range. SharePrices The move landed as the FTSE 100 opened down about 0.3%, led by sharp falls in a handful of heavyweight names. “Various forces are poised to somewhat buoy the market heading into 2026,” Halifax analyst Amanda Bryden said, pointing to easing mortgage
8 January 2026
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Rolls-Royce shares hit fresh highs in 2026 rally as valuation debate heats upLondon,

Rolls-Royce shares hit fresh highs in 2026 rally as valuation debate heats upLondon,

Jan 8, 2026, 09:00 (GMT) Rolls-Royce shares rose again on Thursday, pushing further into a strong start to 2026 for the UK aero-engine maker. The stock hit 1,286 pence and was up 1.15% at 1,273.5 pence on delayed London market data. London South East The move is pulling in retail attention as well as bigger money. A Motley Fool column estimated a £10,000 stake bought a week ago would now be worth about £10,850, after an 8.5% gain in the first week of the year, and said the average 12-month target among analysts sat around 1,258p — close to where
8 January 2026
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Fresh Lloyds, Barclays and NatWest price targets hint at more upside for UK bank sharesLONDON,

Fresh Lloyds, Barclays and NatWest price targets hint at more upside for UK bank sharesLONDON,

Jan 8, 2026, 09:05 GMT Jefferies lifted its price targets on Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and NatWest in a fresh note, arguing UK bank shares still have room to rerate despite a strong 2025. The broker raised its targets to 119 pence for Lloyds, 560 pence for Barclays and 720 pence for NatWest. It also kept Buy calls on OSB Group and Paragon Banking Group, with targets of 740 pence and 1,060 pence. Interactive Investor The call matters because banks have become too big to ignore in London again. Jefferies said the sector’s weighting has grown to about 17% of
8 January 2026
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Utah’s New Wildfire Risk Map Flags Hot Zones as Central Texas Tracks Early 2026 FiresSALT LAKE CITY, Utah,

Utah’s New Wildfire Risk Map Flags Hot Zones as Central Texas Tracks Early 2026 FiresSALT LAKE CITY, Utah,

January 8, 2026, 01:55 MST Utah officials on Thursday released an updated statewide wildfire risk map that shows much of southern Utah, including large portions of Kane County and surrounding public lands, in the higher-risk categories because of dense fuels, steep terrain and seasonal winds. The map is intended to guide planning and mitigation as the state heads into another fire season shaped by drought, growth and changing climate conditions. Southern Utah News Risk maps like this are becoming a go-to tool for fire agencies and local governments as more housing spreads into the wildland-urban interface, the zone where neighborhoods
8 January 2026
Glencore plc stock slips as copper cools — the next dates investors are watching

Glencore plc stock slips as copper cools — the next dates investors are watching

London, Jan 8, 2026, 08:51 GMT — Regular session Glencore (GLEN.L) shares slid in early London trade on Thursday as copper prices eased and miners took another step back from this week’s highs. The stock was down about 0.8% at 419.4 pence, after a 1.2% drop on Wednesday; copper futures were off around 0.7%. It traded between 417.9 and 421.7 pence and sits roughly 3% below its 52-week high. Investing.com The dip comes as investors weigh a bigger question behind the day-to-day noise: how tight the copper market gets, and how fast. S&P Global said on Thursday that global copper
8 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

Meta stock faces an AI split: ad gains vs a $135 billion bill

Meta stock faces an AI split: ad gains vs a $135 billion bill

7 February 2026
Meta shares dropped 1.3% to $661.46 on Friday after the company projected 2026 capital spending of up to $135 billion, raising investor concerns over cash flow. Meta reported Q4 revenue of $59.89 billion, up 24% year-over-year, with ad impressions rising 18%. Analysts remain divided on whether AI-driven ad gains can offset the steep spending ramp.
IAG share price jumps toward a 52-week peak — what to watch before London reopens

IAG share price jumps toward a 52-week peak — what to watch before London reopens

7 February 2026
IAG shares rose 4.33% to 438.50 pence Friday, near their 52-week high, ahead of full-year results due later this month. The company reported 162,073,135 treasury shares and total voting rights of 4,565,128,012. Brent crude fell 2.2% Thursday to $67.93 a barrel. South Europe Ground Services logged 712,340 operations in 2025 and seeks approval to operate in Portugal.
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