London, Feb 8, 2026, 08:20 GMT — The market is closed.
- GSK finished Friday at 2,198 pence, up 0.8%, just shy of its recent high.
- The EU has signed off on broader use of GSK’s Nucala for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Investors are watching for the upcoming dividend dates, and they’re also paying attention to news of an insider buying shares.
GSK (GSK.L) closed Friday at 2,198 pence, up 18 pence, or 0.8%. That puts the drugmaker’s valuation near 88 billion pounds. Shares have climbed roughly 17% this week, and they’ve surged almost 49% over the last year.
The market’s closed for the weekend, so investors are left to mull whether GSK’s respiratory drug—now carrying a fresh EU label—can actually pick up prescriptions fast enough to move the needle on 2026 forecasts once trading resumes Monday.
GSK has secured European Commission approval for Nucala (mepolizumab) as an add-on option in adults battling uncontrolled COPD who show elevated blood eosinophils, even after standard triple inhaler regimens. The company is citing results from its MATINEE phase 3 trial—Nucala cut the yearly rate of moderate or severe flare-ups compared to placebo (rate ratio 0.79), and also lowered the number of flare-ups leading to ER visits or hospital stays (rate ratio 0.65). “For the first time, adults with uncontrolled COPD … will have the option for a monthly biologic,” said Kaivan Khavandi, GSK’s global head of Respiratory, Immunology & Inflammation R&D. Susanna Palkonen of the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations called the patient burden “immense.” GSK
Chairman Jonathan Symonds picked up 2,500 shares at 21.14 pounds apiece on Feb. 5, shelling out a total of 52,850 pounds, according to a separate filing.
JP Morgan’s Zain Ebrahim is sticking with his “Sell” call on GSK, MarketScreener says, and hasn’t budged on the 1,700 pence target—about 23% under where GSK shares finished Friday. MarketScreener
Early London trading could quickly play off the EU decision—either fueling more momentum, or getting shrugged off as just another move in a drawn-out, country-by-country reimbursement and rollout slog.
Risks cut both ways here. Winning a label expansion doesn’t ensure quick adoption, and biologics in COPD often run into harsh payer scrutiny—particularly if doctors keep choosing inhaled treatments or if real-world results lag behind the trial numbers.
Income investors are eyeing Feb. 19, when GSK goes ex-dividend for its most recent quarterly payment. The record date follows on Feb. 20, with the payout scheduled for April 9, the company’s dividend calendar shows.
