Today: 20 March 2026
Browse Category

UK Economy 9 February 2026 - 17 February 2026

Standard Chartered shares edge up as investors eye Feb 24 results and UK inflation data

Standard Chartered shares edge up as investors eye Feb 24 results and UK inflation data

Standard Chartered shares rose 0.4% to 1,747.5 pence by 0915 GMT Tuesday, extending Monday’s rebound as UK banks steadied after last week’s AI-driven selloff. Traders are focused on UK January inflation data due Wednesday and Standard Chartered’s annual results on Feb. 24. CFO Diego De Giorgi’s recent exit remains a concern. The stock traded between 1,731.5 and 1,754.5 pence early in the session.
3i Group share price edges up as BoE rate-cut bets grow — what investors watch next

3i Group share price edges up as BoE rate-cut bets grow — what investors watch next

3i Group shares rose 0.3% to 3,507 pence by 0858 GMT Tuesday, after a 1.8% gain Monday. UK unemployment climbed to 5.2% in Q4 2025 and wage growth slowed, reviving bets on a Bank of England rate cut in March. 3i’s net asset value reached 3,017 pence at Dec. 31, with Action’s sales growth accelerating in early 2026. Investors await 3i’s Action Capital Markets Seminar on March 26.
17 February 2026
SSE share price ticks higher as UK jobs data revives March BoE cut bets — what to watch next

SSE share price ticks higher as UK jobs data revives March BoE cut bets — what to watch next

SSE shares rose 0.5% to 2,621 pence in early London trading Tuesday, rebounding after a 1.3% drop. UK unemployment climbed to 5.2% and wage growth slowed, firming bets on a Bank of England rate cut in March. Investors await UK inflation data Wednesday and Ofgem’s RIIO-3 licence decision this month. SSE’s annual results are due May 28.
FTSE 100 today: NatWest buyback lifts UK stocks as Beazley resets Zurich deadline

FTSE 100 today: NatWest buyback lifts UK stocks as Beazley resets Zurich deadline

FTSE 100 rose 0.4% in early trade Monday, led by NatWest after launching a £750 million share buyback. Beazley extended Zurich’s takeover deadline to March 4. Rio Tinto suspended work at its Guinea iron ore project after a fatality. Investors await UK jobs and inflation data this week for signals on Bank of England rate moves.
FTSE 100 today: Schroders deal sparks record high, but London shares end lower on weak UK growth

FTSE 100 today: Schroders deal sparks record high, but London shares end lower on weak UK growth

The FTSE 100 closed down 0.67% at 10,402.44 after hitting a record intraday high, as weak GDP and business investment data weighed. Schroders surged on a £9.9 billion takeover offer from Nuveen, the largest-ever for a European fund manager. The FTSE 250 fell 0.48%. Investors expect the Bank of England may cut rates at its March 19 meeting.
Taylor Wimpey share price ticks up as Help to Buy talk keeps UK builders in play

Taylor Wimpey share price ticks up as Help to Buy talk keeps UK builders in play

Taylor Wimpey shares rose 0.4% to 115.85p in early London trading Thursday, extending Wednesday’s 4.9% jump amid speculation of a new government Help to Buy scheme. Over 54 million shares changed hands Wednesday. Investors await policy details and Taylor Wimpey’s March 5 results for further signals on demand and margins. The company has warned of muted first-time buyer demand and lower 2026 profit margins.
Compass Group share price slips in early London trade as dividend maths and dollar switch draw focus

Compass Group share price slips in early London trade as dividend maths and dollar switch draw focus

Compass Group shares fell 0.3% to 2,039 pence in early London trading Thursday after a 2.7% drop the previous day. The company set its final dividend at 31.75 pence per share, payable Feb. 26, and plans to shift its London listing to U.S. dollars from April 1. UK GDP rose 0.1% in Q4, missing forecasts. Trading volume was lighter, with about 353,000 shares changing hands early.
HSBC share price in focus as UK taps Orion blockchain for ‘digital gilt’ pilot

HSBC share price in focus as UK taps Orion blockchain for ‘digital gilt’ pilot

The UK Treasury selected HSBC’s Orion platform to run a pilot issuance of tokenised UK government bonds, with law firm Ashurst as legal adviser. HSBC shares closed at 1,305.4p on Wednesday, little changed ahead of the London open. The government has not set an issuance date for the pilot. HSBC will release its annual results and consider a dividend on Feb. 25.
National Grid shares barely budge after UK grid upgrade update as Ofgem decision nears

National Grid shares barely budge after UK grid upgrade update as Ofgem decision nears

National Grid shares edged down 0.1% to 1,285 pence in early London trade after the company completed a major overhead line upgrade between Carlisle and the Scottish border. The firm said it replaced or installed over 90 km of line and will deliver a 184-tonne transformer in March. Investors are watching Ofgem’s upcoming RIIO-3 licence decision and UK rate moves amid political uncertainty.
Lloyds share price: buyback update lands as Barclays lifts targets, UK data in focus

Lloyds share price: buyback update lands as Barclays lifts targets, UK data in focus

Lloyds Banking Group closed down 1.41% at 105.25p on Monday after disclosing a buyback of 7.5 million shares on Feb. 9, to be cancelled. The repurchase is part of a £1.75 billion programme running through 2026. Barclays reported a 12% profit rise and raised capital return targets, adding pressure on UK bank stocks. Investors await key UK economic data and the next Bank of England rate decision.
Lloyds share price slips below 105p as NatWest’s Evelyn deal and rate-cut bets weigh on UK banks

Lloyds share price slips below 105p as NatWest’s Evelyn deal and rate-cut bets weigh on UK banks

Lloyds Banking Group shares fell about 2% to 104.73 pence in early London trading Monday, underperforming amid renewed UK rate-cut speculation after a close Bank of England vote. Investors also weighed NatWest’s £2.7 billion deal for Evelyn Partners and political pressure on sterling. Barclays results are due Feb. 10, with Lloyds’ annual report set for Feb. 18.
1 2 3 4 5 15

Stock Market Today

  • Friday's Top ETF Movers: SPDR Oil & Gas ETF Surges, Sprott Silver ETF Declines
    March 20, 2026, 1:06 PM EDT. On Friday, the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (XOP) led gains, rising about 2.1%, driven by strong performances from Venture Global, up 10.8%, and SM Energy, up 7.9%. Conversely, the Sprott Silver Miners & Physical Silver ETF (SLVR) lagged, falling around 3.8%. Key laggards within SLVR included Gold Resource, down 6.5%, and Americas Gold and Silver, down 6.2%. These movements highlight sector-specific volatility, with energy exploration seeing robust investor interest, while silver mining faced selling pressure throughout the day.
Go toTop