WH Smith (LON:SMWH) high-street sale faces investor focus after TG Jones court delay
TG Jones, which bought WH Smith’s high street stores, was still waiting on a High Court
South32 Ltd (ASX:S32) share price bounce leaves June selloff intact before quarterly update
South32 Ltd entered Tuesday’s pre-open after a 1.79% rise on Monday, but the bounce did little to repair June’s damage. The miner closed at A$3.98; since June 22 it is down 4.1%,
Lloyds (LON:LLOY) buyback questioned as mortgages drop, stock eyes 109p
Lloyds Banking Group plc shares saw a slight gain in late-morning trade in London on Monday. The move came as new data showed UK mortgage approvals dropped about 15% in May, raising questions for Lloyds, given its heavy reliance on home loans. Lloyds traded up on delayed UK quotes, with two other local bank stocks down.
Tesco trades higher as repurchase hits 59% of target, grocery share cools
Tesco PLC traded higher in London on Monday. A new buyback update showed Tesco has now executed around 59% of its planned £750 million repurchase, providing some direct per-share support as UK grocery volume figures remain mixed. London Stock Exchange was open for business, with the regular session running from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. BST. TradingHours.com confirmed the exchange was open Monday. As of 10:55 BST, the FTSE 100 was down 0.27% at 10,479.49. Tesco traded at 463.70p, up 3.80p, or 0.83%, according to delayed London South East data.
easyJet (LON:EZJ) stock trails Castlelake offer on deal terms snag
easyJet plc shares remain priced with a takeover discount, after the airline gave Castlelake access to only limited commercial information. The delayed quote showed the stock at 580.2p to sell, 580.6p to buy, off 0.51% for the day. Shares opened at 587p and closed previously at 583p. The discount figure is what investors are watching. Castlelake put forward a fourth offer at 650p a share in cash. easyJet turned it down, calling it too low, but said more access to data could bring a “more attractive proposal”.
IAG shares dip on Heathrow cost dispute, offsetting oil price drop and dividend
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA shares dropped Monday. But for investors, fuel wasn’t the only concern. The British Airways parent is trading close to its old highs, as a new dispute about who pays for Heathrow’s expansion brings attention to a costly item the company can’t hedge. IAG was last at 473.25 pence, off 9.45 pence, as of 0946 BST. Volume was 2.24 million shares. The stock is trading 3.99% under its 52-week high of 492.90 pence from June 25, but it's still up 39.5% for the year, per delayed market data.
BAE Systems (LON:BA) buyback case looks better after shares fall with UK defence review coming
BAE Systems plc had a mixed week, bouncing on Friday while the broader market slumped, but still posted a lower finish over five days. The dip means its fresh buyback program will pick up more shares with the same money. BAE closed at 1,808p in London, up 0.89% for the day, Hargreaves Lansdown data said. The FTSE 100 lost 0.21% on Friday. But BAE finished the week 2.1% lower than last Friday's close.
Stock Market Today: Live Updates 28.07.2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 28, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 28, 2026, 4:15 PM EDT GSK Rolls Out Three-Year Cost Cuts, R&D Focus, and HQ Move July 28, 2026, 4:12 PM EDT. GSK said it will start a three-year plan to cut costs and shift more spending to late-stage research and development (R&D). The company is also moving its research HQ closer to AstraZeneca’s base. CEO Luke Miels wouldn’t give details on possible job losses from the move. The plan is meant to focus more on GSK’s drug pipeline and keep a lid on costs in a tough pharma market.
Stock Market Today: Live Updates 27.07.2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 27, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 28, 2026, 3:59 AM EDT Power Metal Resources Hits Early Nickel at Molopo Farms in Botswana July 28, 2026, 3:59 AM EDT. Power Metal Resources (AIM:POW) said it hit early signs of nickel mineralisation in its first completed drill hole at the Molopo Farms project in Botswana. The hole, drilled to 382 metres, picked up possible nickel between 243 and 269 metres in a leuconorite band. Samples have been sent for assay, results are still pending. The program, set for 1,600 metres total, is focusing on five main geological targets
Stock Market Today: Live Updates 24.07.2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 24, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 25, 2026, 3:59 AM EDT Lane Cove Apartment Draws Only Single Bid, Sells Below Guide as Sydney Auction Market Struggles July 25, 2026, 3:57 AM EDT. A two-bedroom apartment in Lane Cove sold for $785,000 under the hammer, with just one bid recorded. Agents had hoped for more competition, guiding buyers at $790,000. The reserve sat at the same level as the lone bid. Auctioneer Pete Matthews called current conditions the toughest in his 30-year career, saying even the GFC didn’t compare. The unit was one of 451 auctions scheduled
Stock Market Today: Live Updates 23.07.2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 23, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 24, 2026, 3:59 AM EDT ASX Movers: Woolworths Group, Flight Centre Travel Group July 24, 2026, 3:55 AM EDT. Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX:WOW) shares are up 33.6% since early 2025, helped by the company’s 35% share of the grocery market and a 3.66% dividend yield-well above its 5-year average of 2.92%. Investors are leaning on Woolworths for steady earnings as uncertainty lingers. On the other hand, Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX:FLT) has rebounded 21.7% from its 52-week lows. The global travel giant, in more than 80 countries, is trading
FTSE 100 drops as oil surge stokes rate fears
UK stocks fell Wednesday as oil’s rally stopped being an easy win for London. Brent prices lifted BP and Shell, but higher oil brought rate fears back. The FTSE 100 had energy names up, but most other shares fell. FTSE 100 lost ground Wednesday, showing the index hasn’t been a safe spot for investors. Still, it’s up 5.62% in 2024 and has gained 18.29% over the last 12 months, so there were profits on the table before the drop. The easy path for UK stocks in June now faces stiffer tests as earnings season arrives in July.
Reckitt climbs ahead of July 29 buyback, investors look at cash return math
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc climbed on Tuesday, trading above the average repurchase price from the latest part of its £1 billion buyback. With shares up, the next move on capital returns is back on the table ahead of half-year results. Reckitt finished after hours with a 5,206p bid and a 5,208p offer, up 106p, or 2.08%, according to Hargreaves Lansdown. HL’s page logged the FTSE 100 up 0.13%. Reckitt closed last session at 5,088p, volume came in at 1,060,707 shares, giving a £32.98 billion market cap.
Aviva shares tick higher after Tesco deal aims at parents’ insurance gap
Aviva plc ticked up Tuesday after tying up a distribution deal with Tesco plc, offering a new sign on Aviva’s push to grow protection sales. Protection still trailed the insurer’s wealth and general insurance business in the first-quarter update. Aviva’s investor page had the shares trading at 677.80 pence, up 0.30%, at 15:40 UK time. Market cap on the same page was 20.3 billion pounds as of Monday’s close. Hargreaves Lansdown listed the bid-offer spread at 677.60p/678.00p with a prior close at 675.80p, volume of 3.22 million shares, a 5.80% dividend yield and P/E of 25.12.
Unilever rallies, closing in on analyst targets ahead of July earnings
Unilever PLC shares jumped more than 3% on Tuesday, outpacing gains on the FTSE 100 ahead of the consumer group's half-year earnings later this month. Hargreaves Lansdown delayed data had Unilever at 4,695.75p, up 139p. The FTSE 100 was up 0.47% at 10,701.46. The stock is now sitting about 9.9% below the median 12-month analyst target of 5,160.27p on Investors Chronicle, after starting the week with a 13.2% gap from Monday’s 4,557p finish. That shift puts pressure on the next set of results, since the story is looking cleaner but tighter—investors now have to bet on volume growth, emerging markets and buybacks, with less of a cushion from a cheap price.
Diageo gains ground, but sales reset could last through 2028
Diageo plc added close to 3% on Tuesday, beating gains in the FTSE 100 after shares slipped at Monday’s close. Davy had the stock at 1,562p by 11:09 BST, up 50p on the session, trading between 1,528.5p and 1,566p so far. Hargreaves Lansdown quoted 1,559.5p/1,560.5p, showing a 3.21% move. The FTSE 100 was ahead 0.45%. The gain erased Monday’s 1.43% drop to £15.12, when Diageo lagged the FTSE 100, which slipped 0.26%. After Tuesday, the stock is still down about 27% from its 52-week peak of £21.42.
easyJet U27938 emergency lands; Castlelake deal spread sticks around 12% as aircraft availability watched
easyJet plc put its recovery plans in focus Monday as flight U27938/EZY7938 from Copenhagen to Amsterdam declared an emergency and diverted to Hamburg. The incident hit just hours after the airline’s board edged nearer to supporting a £5.5 billion buyout from U.S. aviation investor Castlelake. AIRLIVE reported the Airbus A319-111, registration OE-LQP, hit 34,000 feet before the crew made a rapid descent, switched the transponder to Squawk 7700, and diverted to Hamburg. The report still didn't state a cause. The plane landed on runway 23 in Hamburg at 13:53 CEST, met by emergency vehicles. The airline later said it was working on plans to resume the trip, but more maintenance was needed.
Glencore shares fall, copper drawdown dull ahead of July output test
Glencore plc slipped 0.6% to around 510.5 pence on Monday in London, underperforming a weak mining sector. Traders shrugged off low copper stockpiles and focused on the company’s July output update. The London Stock Exchange trades from 0800 to 1630 local, with London at 1305 BST. FTSE 100 edged down 0.1% to 10,663.68 by 1037 GMT, Reuters said, as weaker precious metal miners pushed against financials. Glencore barely moved in today’s trading. The bigger point is the stock has dropped roughly 14% over the last month, despite copper’s visible LME draws still giving bulls something to hold onto.
Bridgepoint (LON:BPT) investors eye Kayne deal fallout as stock faces dilution test
Bridgepoint Group Plc heads into Monday’s London trade after jumping 25.9% in five days. The move followed a $1.4 billion real estate buy in the U.S., giving the private markets firm more fee revenue, added U.S. presence, and a bigger share count. Bridgepoint’s last traded London price was still Friday at the time of writing. Shares finished at 292.80p on July 3, up 4.35%. On June 29, when the Kayne Anderson Real Estate deal hit, Bridgepoint jumped 16.08%. AJ Bell put Bridgepoint’s Friday move at 4.35% against a 0.52% gain on the FTSE 250.
FTSE 100 this week: London stocks focus on single key rate decision
London cash trading is closed for the weekend. The London Stock Exchange trades 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. BST, Monday to Friday, making Friday’s close the last open cash print until Monday. Last week’s advance in the FTSE 100 was narrow. The index climbed 171.01 points for the week, but almost all of that came from Thursday’s 174.53-point leap. Excluding that U.S.-payrolls session, the FTSE 100 lost ground during the other four days. The FTSE 250 also did most of its work in one move—Wednesday’s 316.62-point jump made up 81% of its gain for the week. Daily closes from Investing.com were used for the FTSE 100 and Investors Chronicle market data for the FTSE 250.
easyJet (LON:EZJ) sees £700 million in potential takeover spreads ahead of Monday open
easyJet is facing a £700 million takeover-spread test before the market opens Monday. easyJet plc starts the week with its deal spread now wider than its total decline over the past week. Shares finished Friday at 558.20p, nearly flat on the day, down 4.3% from last week’s close, daily price data shows. The stock touched 544.60p during Friday’s session, falling below Castlelake’s initial 560p bid.
LSEG stock (LON:LSEG) outpaces FTSE as AI-risk bet shifts to July results
London Stock Exchange Group plc ended the week with a five-session climb that looked stronger than the broader UK rally, but the trading pattern carried a warning: the biggest gains came before Friday, and Friday’s advance came on the lightest volume of the week. The London market was shut on Saturday, so Friday’s close was the latest traded price. LSEG closed up 0.72% at 8,670 pence on July 3. The FTSE 100 closed at 10,679.03 on Friday, up 0.2% on the day, and posted a weekly gain as financials and miners rose.
Tesco share buyback on watch after stock drops from high
Tesco PLC heads into Monday trading below the level of its most recent announced buyback. Shares reached a 52-week high this week. Saturday was outside regular hours for the London Stock Exchange, which runs Monday to Friday from 0800 to 1630 BST. Tesco shares dropped 7.00p to 466.60p on Friday. It’s a minor move over the bigger picture, but stands out because Tesco picked up 4 million shares July 2 at an average 471.47p. That latest buyback is sitting above market, at least until trading starts again.
Unilever (LON:ULVR) lags FTSE 350 with traders eyeing buyback and July results
Unilever PLC edged higher for the week, but shareholders are still left asking about the stock’s lag versus the wider UK market. The company’s buyback has lowered the share count, though that hasn’t fixed the underperformance. With London markets closed for the weekend, Friday’s close stands: 4,620.00p, down 16p, or 0.35%. The FTSE 100 finished up 26.16 points at 10,679.03, a gain of 0.25%. The stock traded like this against the index on Friday, quote data showed:
Lloyds stock near 52-week high as buyback at peak puts July strategy in focus
Lloyds Banking Group plc goes into the weekend at a price that makes its own buyback tape more useful than usual. The stock closed Friday at 115.05p after touching 115.40p, the top of its 52-week range, and was up 5.4% from the prior Friday close of 109.20p. The FTSE 100 closed Friday up 0.2% at 10,679.03, with financials among the stronger sectors. The week’s Lloyds tape was plain: a weak Monday, then four up days.
Rolls-Royce trades close to record, buyback yield dips before July 30 earnings
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc heads into the week just off record highs, but the main story is in the buyback numbers. With the stock close to 1,500p, the big cash return now looks less significant versus the company’s market cap. London Stock Exchange trading is weekdays only, so this Saturday’s view covers last week and the coming week. The stock gained every day through the week ending July 3. Shares finished Friday at 1,504.20p, up 1.97%. The FTSE 100 added 0.2% to 10,679.03 and also ended higher for the week.
BAE Systems, Leonardo, Mitsubishi Heavy face £255 million-a-month test on GCAP fighter project
Global Combat Air Programme’s latest award gets attention for its size, but spending speed is the real story. The UK-Italy-Japan fighter project has awarded £5.286 billion to Edgewing since April. That works out to a monthly burn of around £252 million over the three-month bridge contract plus the new 18-month phase. Actual monthly revenue isn’t fixed, but the number gives investors a way to gauge the engineering pace behind the sixth-generation jet. GCAP Agency has given Edgewing a new £4.6 billion contract to complete the advanced concept and assessment phase and push the joint detailed design and development forward. Edgewing is the trinational prime and design authority. The contract follows an earlier £686 million deal from April.