Stock Market News 24 January 2026

Prudential plc share price: PRU slips ahead of next week as Malaysia stake deal and buyback stay in focus

Prudential shares closed down 1.88% at 1,150 pence Friday after the insurer agreed to raise its stake in its Malaysia life unit to 70% for about $375 million. The company also bought back 322,055 shares as part of its ongoing $1.2 billion buyback program. The FTSE 100 slipped 0.07% on the day.

24 January 2026

LSE:PRU·Share Buybacks·Stock Market

Vodafone share price steadies near £1.04 after Deutsche Bank target hike and buyback — what to watch next

Vodafone shares closed Friday at 104.05 pence, up 0.4%, after Deutsche Bank raised its price target to 150p and the company disclosed a buyback of 2.68 million shares at 103.78p each. Vodafone’s Q3 FY26 trading update is scheduled for Feb. 5, coinciding with its interim dividend payment.

24 January 2026

LSE:VOD·Stock Market

3i Group share price ends higher — why investors have Jan. 29 circled

3i Group shares closed at 3,289 pence on Friday, up 0.49%, ahead of its Q3 update due Jan. 29. Investors remain focused on Action’s trading and its impact on 3i’s portfolio value, with the stock trading about 15% above its last reported NAV. Around 1.6 million shares changed hands. Broader markets were mixed, with the FTSE 100 down 0.07%.

24 January 2026

LSE:III·Stock Market

Legal & General share price stalls near 258p as UK data and BoE signals reset the rate debate

Legal & General shares closed Friday nearly flat at 258.2p, up 0.04%. UK December retail sales rose 0.4%, surprising markets and lifting sterling. The FTSE 100 slipped 0.07%, ending a three-week run. Investors await the Bank of England meeting on Feb. 5 and L&G’s earnings on March 11.

24 January 2026

LSE:LGEN·Stock Market·UK Economy

IAG share price slips as oil jumps on Iran jitters — what to watch before Monday

IAG shares fell 2.79% to 418.3 pence Friday, ending a two-day rally as rising crude prices hit airline stocks. Brent crude climbed 1.6% to $65.08 a barrel after U.S. military moves near Iran. EasyJet and Ryanair also dropped. Investors await IAG’s full-year results on February 27.

24 January 2026

LSE:EZJ·LSE:IAG·LSE:RYA·Oil Prices·Stock Market

Haleon share price in focus after Barclays upgrade — what HLN investors watch next week

Haleon shares closed up 0.45% in London Friday after Barclays upgraded the stock to “overweight” and raised its price target. Around 16.9 million shares traded as investors weighed U.S. sales momentum and upcoming earnings. Barclays expects U.S. destocking to end by Q4 and projects 1.5% organic growth by 2026. Haleon reports full-year results on Feb. 25.

24 January 2026

LSE:HLN·Stock Market

Diageo share price slips to £16.75 as market shuts; investors eye Feb results under new CEO

Diageo shares closed Friday down 1.18% at £16.75, about 35% below their 52-week high, with trading volume below average. The stock remains near 2015 levels after a November profit warning and a cut to its 2026 outlook. Dave Lewis takes over as CEO on Jan. 1, 2026. Interim results are due Feb. 25.

24 January 2026

LSE:DGE·Stock Market

Ashtead shares ease after buyback update — what to watch before London reopens

Ashtead Group shares fell 0.27% to 5,228 pence on Friday after the company disclosed a repurchase of 74,568 shares at an average 5,189.3 pence each. The buyback comes ahead of an interim dividend on Feb. 6 and a $1.5 billion buyback set for March 2, alongside a planned NYSE re-listing.

24 January 2026

LSE:AHT·Stock Market

SSE share price slips into weekend as UK rate-cut bets shift; Feb update looms

SSE PLC shares closed at 2,322 pence Friday, down 0.26%, as the FTSE 100 slipped 0.07% amid rate and political concerns. Morgan Stanley now expects the Bank of England’s next rate cut in March, not February. SSE’s interim dividend is due Jan. 30, with a Q3 trading update set for Feb. 4. UK retail sales rose 0.4% in December, beating forecasts.

24 January 2026

Interest Rates·LSE:SSE·Stock Market·UK Economy

Experian share price: why EXPN steadied on Friday and what could move it next week

Experian shares rose 0.4% to 3,029 pence Friday, recovering from a 19-month low after a sharp 7% drop earlier in the week. The company reported 12% quarterly revenue growth, but analysts flagged risks from a weaker U.S. dollar, proposed U.S. credit card rate caps, and competition from Fair Isaac. Investors await Experian’s interim dividend on Feb. 6 and full-year results on May 20.

24 January 2026

LSE:EXPN·Stock Market

National Grid share price: Jefferies target lift and bond funding update set the tone for Monday

National Grid shares closed up 0.4% at 1,191.5p in London on Friday, after Jefferies raised its price target to 1,410p and reaffirmed a “buy” rating. Trading volume reached 7.16 million shares. The company released an FCA-approved prospectus for its €20 billion Euro Medium Term Note programme. UK 10-year gilt yields rose to 4.53%, pressuring utility sector borrowing costs.

24 January 2026

LSE:NG·Stock Market

LSEG share price ticks higher into weekend as buyback continues; Fed week is the next test

London Stock Exchange Group shares rose 0.5% to 8,768 pence Friday, as the company bought back 114,040 shares at a VWAP of 8,769.15 pence. The FTSE 100 slipped 0.07%, ending a three-week rally. UK December retail sales climbed 0.4%, and the pound strengthened. LSEG will release preliminary 2025 results on Feb. 26.

24 January 2026

Federal Reserve·LSE:LSEG.L·Share Buybacks·Stock Market

Reckitt share price falls as RKT heads into a big £1.6bn dividend vote week

Reckitt shares dropped 1.6% to 60.18 pounds on Friday, lagging the FTSE 100. The company bought back 49,250 shares at an average 6,089.71 pence each. Shareholders meet Jan. 27 to vote on a 235p special dividend and a share consolidation. The dividend and consolidation are scheduled for early February, pending approval.

24 January 2026

Dividends·LSE:RKT.L·Stock Market

NatWest share price: why NWG fell Friday as buybacks and rate bets line up the next catalyst

NatWest shares closed at 646.6 pence Friday, down 1%. The bank announced new buybacks and repurchased over 820,000 shares, while Norges Bank reduced its stake below 3%. Investors await NatWest’s annual results on February 13 and signals on UK interest rates.

24 January 2026

LSE:NWG·Stock Market·UK Economy

Aviva share price slumps 5% on Friday: what to watch for AV.L before results

Aviva shares (AV.L) fell 5.17% to 619.40p in London Friday, with trading volume at 18.4 million. No new regulatory announcements were issued. The FTSE 100 slipped 0.07%, ending a three-week winning streak. Aviva this week expanded its DigiCare+ health app and announced new hires in its UK wealth team.

24 January 2026

LSE:AV.L·Stock Market

Unilever share price ends higher as Barclays lifts target; what to watch for ULVR next week

Unilever shares closed up 1% at 4,864 pence Friday, outperforming a flat FTSE 100. Barclays raised its target price to 5,700p and kept a buy rating. The company faces ongoing legal disputes tied to its former Ben & Jerry’s unit, now part of the spun-off Magnum Ice Cream Company. Unilever reports full-year results on Feb. 12.

24 January 2026

LSE:ULVR.L·Stock Market

BAT share price holds near highs as buyback filings roll in ahead of dividend, results

British American Tobacco closed Friday up 0.35% at about 4,328 pence after buying back over 321,000 shares this week for cancellation. The company will pay a dividend Feb. 4 and report preliminary full-year results Feb. 12. Markets reopen Monday.

24 January 2026

Dividends·LSE:BATS.L·Stock Market

Rio Tinto share price ends week higher as broker upgrades sharpen focus on Glencore deadline

Rio Tinto shares closed Friday up 1.39% at £65.76, about 1.5% below their 52-week high. Broker upgrades followed a strong Q4 production update, with copper output boosted by Mongolia’s Oyu Tolgoi. Investors await a Feb. 5 deadline on Glencore talks and annual results on Feb. 19. Trading volume was 1.7 million shares, below the 50-day average.

24 January 2026

LSE:GLEN·LSE:RIO·Mining Industry·Stock Market

RELX share price: Kepler’s AI call and buyback update keep the stock in focus ahead of results

Relx shares closed Friday at 2,921 pence, down 0.14%, marking a fifth straight session of losses. Kepler Cheuvreux maintained a “buy” rating and set a 3,905-pence target, calling AI disruption fears exaggerated and raising its 2026–27 growth outlook. Relx continued its buyback, acquiring 325,221 shares on Jan. 23. Full-year results are due Feb. 12.

24 January 2026

Artificial Intelligence·Earnings Reports·LSE:REL·Stock Market

Lloyds share price in focus as LLOY heads into results week and BoE rate bets shift

Lloyds Banking Group shares closed Friday at 101.65 pence, down 0.25%. The bank will report full-year 2025 results on Jan. 29, with investors watching for impacts from shifting UK rate expectations. Lloyds plans to redeem €500 million in floating-rate notes in March 2026. The bank remains under scrutiny after higher provisions linked to the UK motor finance mis-selling scandal.

24 January 2026

Earnings Reports·Interest Rates·LSE:LLOY·Stock Market

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Exxon Mobil stock price hits a fresh 52-week high near $149 — what could move XOM next week

7 February 2026

Exxon Mobil shares climbed 2.03% to close at $149.05 Friday, hitting a new 52-week high as oil prices rose and Wall Street rallied. Brent crude settled at $68.05 a barrel, up 0.74%. The Dow closed above 50,000 for the first time. Exxon’s dividend record date is Feb. 12.

Why Tencent stock fell: an OpenClaw AI warning, chip shortages — and what’s next for 0700.HK

7 February 2026

Tencent shares fell 2% to HK$547.50 in Hong Kong on Friday, tracking a 1.1% drop in the Hang Seng TECH index. China warned of security risks tied to the OpenClaw AI agent, which Tencent Cloud offers, while Intel and AMD flagged longer waits and higher prices for server CPUs in China.

Walmart stock jumps 3% to $131 as Dow clears 50,000 — what to watch before Monday

7 February 2026

Walmart shares climbed 3.34% to $131.18 Friday, pushing its market value to about $1.05 trillion as the Dow closed above 50,000 for the first time. Retail stocks mostly gained, with Target up 4.24% and Costco up 1.20%, while Amazon dropped 5.55%. Investors await Walmart’s fiscal Q4 results on Feb. 19 and key U.S. economic data next week.

Visa stock price closes higher as $100 million small-business push hits tape — what to watch next week

7 February 2026

Visa shares closed up 0.74% at $331.58 Friday, trading between $327.10 and $335.13. The company launched “Visa & Main,” a small-business platform with a $100 million working-capital facility through Lendistry. Mastercard fell 0.6%, while American Express and PayPal each rose about 1.3%. Investors await next week’s U.S. jobs and inflation data.

Stock Market News 24 January 2026

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