LSE:NXT

UK Stock Market Forecast 2026: FTSE 100 clings to rate-cut bets as AI jitters hit data stocks

London’s FTSE 100 edged up on Friday as gains in major banks outweighed another drop from data analytics firm RELX, which continues to feel pressure amid the global AI selloff. The blue-chip index was 0.2% higher at 1133 GMT, eyeing a second consecutive weekly gain. The FTSE 250, meanwhile, barely moved and looks set to slip for a second week. Barclays, NatWest, and Lloyds climbed between 1% and 1.6%. RELX fell 3.5%. Fresnillo gained 1.8%, while Next added 0.5% after acquiring footwear brand Russell & Bromley via an insolvency deal.

6 February 2026

FTSE 100·LSE:BARC·LSE:FRES·LSE:LLOY·LSE:NWG·LSE:NXT·LSE:REL·Stock Market·UK Economy

Next buys Russell & Bromley for £3.8m — and leaves 33 stores facing an uncertain future

British retailer Next said on Wednesday it has bought Russell & Bromley through an insolvency process, paying £2.5 million for the brand and a further £1.3 million for some of its stock. The deal covers the brand’s intellectual property and three stores, while 33 stores and nine concessions — shop-in-shop spaces inside other retailers — are not included.

21 January 2026

LSE:NXT

FTSE 100 record run stalls as gold dips and Tesla UK sales slide

London’s FTSE 100 closed down 0.7% on Wednesday, pausing after a run of record highs as energy and financial stocks fell and investors tracked the latest U.S.-Venezuela moves. Energy shares slid after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had reached a deal to import up to $2 billion worth of Venezuelan crude, while banks fell and defence stocks edged higher. The mid-cap FTSE 250 ended 0.4% higher, holding near a four-year peak. Reuters

8 January 2026

LSE:AZN·LSE:NXT·LSE:OCDO·NASDAQ:TSLA·Stock Market

FTSE 100 above 10,000 again as Next jumps — what’s moving UK stocks today

The UK’s FTSE 100 edged higher on Tuesday and held above the 10,000 mark, helped by a jump in Next after the clothing retailer raised its profit outlook. The blue-chip index was up 0.6% at 10,061 points, according to LSEG data. Reuters+1

6 January 2026

FTSE 100·LSE:MKS·LSE:NXT·Stock Market·UK Economy

UK stock market today: FTSE 100 hits fresh high as Next upgrade lifts retailers and oil majors rise

Britain’s FTSE 100 pushed further into record territory on Tuesday, extending its move above the 10,000 mark as a profit upgrade from Next and gains in heavyweight energy names buoyed London stocks. The blue-chip index was up about 0.6% at 10,061 and earlier hit 10,066.68.