Today: 21 May 2026
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UK Economy 6 January 2026 - 15 January 2026

Aldi pay rise 2026: UK staff get March bump and longer maternity pay, Ireland hits €15.40 living wage

Aldi pay rise 2026: UK staff get March bump and longer maternity pay, Ireland hits €15.40 living wage

Aldi UK will raise its starting hourly wage to £13.35 from March 1 and extend full-pay maternity leave to 26 weeks. Aldi Ireland will boost hourly pay by 2% from February 1, setting a new minimum of €15.40. The UK pay hike affects tens of thousands of workers and follows a £36 million investment in pay and benefits. The moves come ahead of the UK minimum wage increase in April.
15 January 2026
Lloyds hit with data watchdog questions as Barclays, NatWest buybacks keep UK bank shares in focus

Lloyds hit with data watchdog questions as Barclays, NatWest buybacks keep UK bank shares in focus

Britain’s data watchdog is investigating Lloyds after the bank used aggregated staff banking data in pay talks, The Guardian reported. Lloyds shares rose 0.8% to near a 52-week high. Barclays and NatWest disclosed new share buybacks, with Barclays repurchasing 3.5 million shares and NatWest buying back 842,406 shares on January 14. UK bank stocks have surged more than 80% over the past year.
15 January 2026
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3i Group share price jumps as UK GDP beats forecasts and investors look to Jan 29 update

3i Group share price jumps as UK GDP beats forecasts and investors look to Jan 29 update

3i Group shares rose 3.8% to 3,150 pence in early London trading Thursday after UK GDP data beat forecasts, easing recession fears and fueling rate cut bets. Official figures showed UK GDP grew 0.3% in November, led by services and production. 3i’s stock remains volatile and well below its October peak. Investors await the company’s Q3 update on Jan. 29 for details on its portfolio and Action stake.
15 January 2026
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National Grid plc stock edges up in London as gilt yields slide — what to watch next

National Grid plc stock edges up in London as gilt yields slide — what to watch next

National Grid shares rose 0.6% to 1,174 pence in early London trading after the company issued over 7 million new shares through its scrip dividend scheme. The 10-year gilt yield fell to 4.34% as UK government bonds rallied. UK GDP grew 0.3% in November, beating forecasts. Investors await inflation data on January 21 and the Bank of England meeting on February 5.
15 January 2026
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NatWest share price rises in early London trade after fresh buyback filing — what to watch next

NatWest share price rises in early London trade after fresh buyback filing — what to watch next

NatWest shares rose 1.2% to 637.8 pence in early London trading after the bank announced further buybacks, purchasing over 1.6 million shares for cancellation on Jan. 13 and 14. Investors await the Feb. 13 annual results for updates on targets and capital returns. Morgan Stanley expects new medium-term goals and a possible cut to NatWest’s capital ratio target.
15 January 2026
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FTSE 100 climbs on miners and AstraZeneca as record gold keeps UK stocks in play

FTSE 100 climbs on miners and AstraZeneca as record gold keeps UK stocks in play

FTSE 100 rose 0.3% to 10,170.81 in mid-morning trade, led by gains in gold miners and AstraZeneca. Spot gold hit a record $4,639.42 an ounce after U.S. inflation data missed forecasts. The FTSE 250 slipped 0.3%, showing uneven momentum. Investors are watching a pending U.S. tariffs ruling and upcoming bank earnings.
14 January 2026
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Rolls-Royce stock in focus: fresh buyback filing and Deutsche Bank target lift ahead of London open

Rolls-Royce stock in focus: fresh buyback filing and Deutsche Bank target lift ahead of London open

Rolls-Royce repurchased 428,382 shares on Jan. 13 as part of its £200 million buyback, bringing the total to 3.58 million shares cancelled since December. Shares closed Tuesday at 1,305p, up 1.4% and reaching a 52-week high. Deutsche Bank raised its target price to 1,325p, maintaining a “buy” rating. The company will release full-year results on Feb. 26.
14 January 2026
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National Grid share price holds near 52-week high after Barclays target hike as Storm Goretti hits power networks

National Grid share price holds near 52-week high after Barclays target hike as Storm Goretti hits power networks

National Grid shares closed up 0.8% at 1,192.5p on Friday, near their 52-week high, after Barclays raised its target price to 1,400p. Storm Goretti caused power outages across Britain, with most supply now restored. Ofgem’s regulatory decisions and storm recovery costs remain in focus. Senior managers made small share purchases under the company’s employee plan.
10 January 2026
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Lloyds share price slips under £1 as UK housing cools and results near

Lloyds share price slips under £1 as UK housing cools and results near

Lloyds Banking Group shares slipped 0.37% to 99.68 pence in London by 10:51 GMT, after touching 100.50 pence earlier. The move followed data showing UK house prices fell 0.6% in December, with annual growth slowing to 0.3%. Investors are watching for Lloyds’ January 29 results for updates on margins and credit costs. The Bank of England rescheduled two gilt sales but kept its broader programme unchanged.
9 January 2026
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UK Retail Shakeout Starts Fast: 2,550 Jobs at Risk as Supermarkets Battle for Share

UK Retail Shakeout Starts Fast: 2,550 Jobs at Risk as Supermarkets Battle for Share

Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop have entered administration, putting about 2,550 jobs at risk across nearly 300 UK stores. Tesco raised its profit outlook after a 3.2% rise in UK sales over Christmas, while Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer reported stronger food sales but weaker non-food results. Asda’s sales fell 4.2% and its market share slipped to 11.4%.
8 January 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

Jefferies raised price targets on Barclays to 560p, Lloyds to 119p, and NatWest to 720p, citing room for UK bank shares to rise. UK banks now account for 17% of the FTSE 100 but still trade at a 25% discount to the wider market. Barclays kept Lloyds rated “overweight” and cut NatWest to “equal weight,” citing stronger capital returns at Lloyds. Shares were mixed in early London trading.
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,

Jefferies raised price targets for Lloyds to 119p, Barclays to 560p, and NatWest to 720p, citing room for UK bank shares to rerate despite a strong 2025. Lloyds traded near 99.6p, Barclays at 481p, and NatWest at 629p on Thursday. Barclays kept Lloyds “overweight” but cut NatWest to “equal weight,” citing diverging capital and earnings outlooks.
8 January 2026
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FTSE 100 Forecast 2026: UK Stock Market Pulls Back From Records as Oil Slides

FTSE 100 Forecast 2026: UK Stock Market Pulls Back From Records as Oil Slides

The FTSE 100 fell 0.7% to 10,054.34 by 1052 GMT, led lower by BP and miners after recent record highs. Oil prices dropped as the U.S. announced a $2 billion Venezuelan crude deal, with Shell down 2.4% and BP off 3.1%. UK construction PMI slumped to 40.1 in December. Auction Technology rejected 11 takeover bids from FitzWalter Capital, the first such move for a UK-listed firm this year.
7 January 2026
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National Grid shares edge higher as UK utility nears 52-week high ahead of Jan 13 dividend

National Grid shares edge higher as UK utility nears 52-week high ahead of Jan 13 dividend

National Grid shares rose 0.5% to 1,178 pence in early London trade Wednesday, extending gains after Tuesday’s rally. The company will pay an interim dividend of 16.35p per share on Jan. 13, with full-year results due May 14. Trading volume Tuesday was 6.7 million shares, below the 50-day average. Ofgem approved £28 billion in network investment last month, set to raise consumer bills by £108 by 2031.
7 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • Intuit Q3 Fiscal 2026 Earnings Surpass Estimates on Consumer and Business Growth
    May 21, 2026, 3:13 PM EDT. Intuit Inc. reported third-quarter fiscal 2026 non-GAAP earnings per share of $12.80, beating estimates by 2.56% and up from $11.65 a year ago. Revenues rose 10.4% to $8.56 billion, surpassing consensus estimates driven by strong growth in QuickBooks Online Accounting revenues, which increased 22%. Consumer segment revenues grew 7.5% to $5.27 billion, with TurboTax and Credit Karma contributing significantly. Global Business Solutions revenues surged 15.3% to $3.29 billion, reflecting robust demand across small- and mid-market offerings. Operating income rose across segments despite a modest margin contraction due to higher marketing and staffing costs, which increased total operating expenses by 11%. Intuit demonstrated solid platform momentum and raised guidance, highlighting sustained growth across consumer and business ecosystems.

Latest articles

Nebius Shares Surge 15% After $2.6 Billion AI Power Plan Announced

Nebius Shares Surge 15% After $2.6 Billion AI Power Plan Announced

21 May 2026
Nebius Group N.V. shares surged 15.6% to $221.72 after announcing a fuel cell power deal with Bloom Energy, securing up to 328 MW of on-site electricity capacity for its AI infrastructure. The agreement could cost Nebius up to $2.6 billion over 10 years. Bloom shares rose 12.2% on the news. Nebius's first-quarter revenue jumped to $399 million from $50.9 million a year earlier.
Sirius XM stock nears new highs as traders look at audio strategy

Sirius XM stock nears new highs as traders look at audio strategy

21 May 2026
Sirius XM shares rose 6.8% to $28.90 by 2:07 p.m. EDT Thursday, outpacing major U.S. indexes. The rally followed CFO Zac Coughlin’s investor conference appearance and news of a renewed multi-year NASCAR broadcast deal. First-quarter subscriber losses were smaller than expected, and revenue topped forecasts. Volume reached 4.8 million shares, with a market value near $9.8 billion.
KEEL Surges as Investors Back Keel’s AI Data Center Plans

KEEL Surges as Investors Back Keel’s AI Data Center Plans

21 May 2026
Keel Infrastructure shares jumped 7.1% to $4.53 Thursday, nearing a 52-week high, as investors bet on its pivot from crypto mining to AI-focused power infrastructure. Trading volume reached 22.31 million shares, below average. The company reported a wider net loss of $145.35 million for the March quarter on lower revenue and warned its transformation faces risks tied to permits, costs, and competition.
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