London, Feb 12, 2026, 17:04 GMT — The market has closed.
London’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.67% to finish at 10,402.44 on Thursday, even after brushing a record intraday peak of 10,535.76. Schroders surged on takeover chatter, but the pop wasn’t enough to keep the broader index afloat by the bell. 1
Schroders is selling for 9.9 billion pounds ($13.5 billion) to U.S. asset manager Nuveen, marking what Reuters calls the largest takeover of a European fund manager to date. “A massive transformational step for both firms,” Nuveen CEO Bill Huffman said. Morningstar’s Johann Scholtz, though, noted there’s “significant room for holdouts to push for a higher price.” 2
The broader economic picture looked unimpressive. UK GDP nudged up just 0.1% in the fourth quarter, unchanged from the previous period, according to official figures. Business investment dropped 2.7%. Services managed zero growth, while construction output slid 2.1%. The Office for National Statistics put 2025’s full-year growth at 1.3%. 3
Equities hovered near record highs, but soft growth readings kept rate speculation alive. According to Reuters, markets are now leaning toward another Bank of England cut in March, with the central bank’s next move set for March 19. 4
Schroders shot to the top of the FTSE 100, lifted by Nuveen’s 612p-per-share offer. Rentokil, on the other hand, lost ground after U.S. rival Rollins posted results. Unilever and British American Tobacco dragged as well, while real estate shares lagged. Saxo Markets strategist Neil Wilson pointed to a “sharp decline in a number of US real estate services groups yesterday on the AI-fear trade” as weighing on the sector. 5
London slipped even as European stocks advanced on earnings momentum. By morning, the STOXX 600 added 0.5%, and both the CAC 40 and FTSE 100 notched fresh records. Schroders’ surge contributed to a wider rally in regional financial services shares, according to Reuters. 6
The FTSE 100 wrapped up Wednesday at another all-time high, boosted by gains in housebuilders and energy shares. Wealth management firms, though, slid on worries about AI shaking up the sector. RBC analyst Anthony Codling called mainstream housebuilders “likely to be the major winners” as new speculation swirled around policy moves to bolster new-home demand. 7
Mid-cap stocks slid into the red by the close. The FTSE 250—tracking UK firms outside the blue-chip 100—finished 0.48% lower at 23,304.99, according to 10 .
Obvious cracks remain. Schroders isn’t set to wrap up its deal until the fourth quarter of 2026, stacking another name onto the growing list of UK-listed companies getting scooped up — not great news for a market eager to hold onto its heavyweights. 8
Next, all eyes turn to U.S. consumer price numbers landing Friday, Feb. 13—any surprise there could jolt global rate expectations. Over in the UK, CPI drops Feb. 18, with January retail sales to follow on Feb. 20. 9
