London, Feb 6, 2026, 08:01 GMT — Regular session
- Shares of London Stock Exchange Group fell about 4% in early trading, erasing gains following a 5.8% rise on Thursday
- LSEG announced fresh buyback transactions and intends to cancel the repurchased shares
- With full-year results due on Feb. 26, investors are watching for any shifts in wording around AI risk
Shares of London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG.L) fell about 4% shortly after Friday’s open, erasing part of the previous day’s gains. Concerns over AI disruption continue to weigh on investors. At 0802 GMT, the stock traded at 7,282 pence, down from Wednesday’s close of 7,586, fluctuating between roughly 7,183 and 7,304 pence.
The stock has become a proxy for the wider turmoil engulfing “data and workflow” firms after Anthropic’s new AI tools sparked fresh questions about subscription model durability. Generative AI is now capable of automating tasks such as research, analysis, and document processing, squeezing these companies. “An awakening to the disruptive power of AI,” said James St. Aubin, chief investment officer at Ocean Park Asset Management. Reuters
Investors are jittery as LSEG gears up to report full-year results for 2025 on Feb. 26. Attention is zeroed in on growth within its data and analytics units, alongside how the company plans to invest in AI while keeping margins intact. The group also confirmed it will continue its buyback program right up to the earnings announcement.
On Thursday, LSEG surged 5.8% as London-listed tech and analytics stocks recovered from earlier drops, despite the FTSE 100 closing down. Trading volume in LSEG climbed to about 2.3 million shares, significantly higher than the 50-day average of roughly 1.5 million, according to market data.
Ahead of Friday’s open, LSEG revealed it bought back 256,419 shares on Feb. 5 at an average price of 7,533.05 pence per share under its ongoing buyback plan. These shares will be cancelled. The company also updated its total voting rights after the repurchase.
Some investors are on the lookout for a bottom in AI-related software and data stocks, though caution is widespread. Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B Riley Wealth, called the selloff “Software-mageddon.” Walter Todd, CIO at Greenwood Capital, weighed in, saying, “I don’t think this wholesale replacement of the existing software infrastructure for the AI solution in these situations is realistic.” Reuters
The risk is obvious: if clients begin turning to AI tools instead of parts of premium data and workflow products, pricing power might weaken. That would challenge the case for a valuation built on loyal subscriptions. On top of that, a downturn in global markets could quickly reduce trading and capital markets activity, hitting the results almost right away.
Traders remain focused on whether the tech-driven selloff fueling this week’s swings will continue, along with fresh broker analyses on “AI winners versus losers” in European data stocks. For LSEG, all attention shifts to Feb. 26, when it reports full-year earnings. Investors are set to zero in on demand patterns, customer retention, and how AI investments are paying off.
