UK Stock Market Today: UK stocks decline, pound falls below $1.34, oil prices surge past $100

Investing.com - UK stocks opened lower on Thursday, the pound fell below $1.34, and rising oil prices hit investor confidence and dragged down European markets. Meanwhile, UK companies including Shell released financial updates.

After Iran attacked a tanker, oil prices rebounded above $100 per barrel, sparking concerns over regional supply disruptions. Oman also preemptively evacuated ships from its main oil export terminals amid escalating Middle East tensions, pushing crude oil prices past the $100 mark.

As of 08:22 GMT, the FTSE 100 index fell 0.5%, and the GBP/USD exchange rate declined 0.2% to 1.3385. Germany’s DAX index dropped 0.2%, and France’s CAC 40 fell 0.6%.

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Shell PLC (AS:SHEL) reported an adjusted 2025 profit of $18.5 billion, down from $23.7 billion in 2024. Operating cash flow reached $42.9 billion, compared to $54.7 billion last year. Free cash flow was $26.1 billion, below $39.5 billion in 2024.

Shell maintained substantial shareholder distributions this year. Total dividends and buybacks amounted to about $22.4 billion, including $8.5 billion in dividends and $13.9 billion in share repurchases, roughly 52% of operating cash flow, at the high end of the company’s 40-50% payout target range.

Computacenter PLC (LON:CCC) announced its full-year 2025 results on Thursday, in line with prior guidance, with adjusted pre-tax profit reaching £272 million, up 7.1% year-over-year.

The company reported revenue of £9.19 billion, up 32.0% YoY, driven by growth in technology procurement, with total invoiced revenue increasing 37.8% at constant currency. The tech services provider saw strong growth in North America and invested heavily in group-wide initiatives.

Bridgepoint Group PLC (LON:BPTB) reported full-year 2025 results exceeding expectations on Thursday, with adjusted EBITDA surpassing forecasts by 4%, thanks to higher catch-up fees and stronger performance-related income.

The alternative asset manager reported annual management fee income of £427.7 million as of December 31, 2025, up 13.0% excluding catch-up fees from the previous year. The company’s guidance exceeded analyst expectations for revenue growth and profit margins.

Trainline PLC (LON:TRNT) announced its trading performance for fiscal 2026 on Thursday, with total revenue of £453 million, up 2%, at the high end of guidance and 1% above market expectations of £449 million.

Net ticket sales increased 6% at constant currency, within the company’s 6-9% guidance range but at the lower end. The figure was slightly below market forecasts. Ancillary revenue showed a strong 17% growth.

M&G reported a net inflow of £7.8 billion into its open business in 2025, a significant improvement from a net outflow of £1.9 billion in 2024, totaling £9.7 billion.

The UK asset management and insurance firm posted an adjusted pre-tax operating profit of £838 million, roughly flat with £837 million in 2024. Assets under management and administration grew from £345.9 billion at the end of 2024 to £375.9 billion.

Halma PLC (LON:HLMA) confirmed on Thursday that it remains on track to meet its upgraded FY2026 outlook announced in the first half.

The safety equipment and sensor manufacturer reported that order volumes continued to exceed revenue and year-ago levels since the start of the year, with further strong progress expected in the second half of FY2026.

Informa PLC (LON:INF) reported full-year 2025 results in line with expectations on Thursday, despite some travel disruptions in the Middle East, reaffirming its outlook for 2026.

The international B2B events and academic publishing group posted revenue of £4.041 billion for 2025, up 13.7% on a reported basis and 6.3% on a constant currency basis from £3.553 billion in 2024. The company increased its share buyback program by £50 million to £250 million.

Helios Towers Plc (LON:HTWS) reported Q4 results that exceeded expectations in new sites, profit, and free cash flow, according to Jefferies on Thursday.

The telecom infrastructure company’s quarterly revenue grew 5.9% YoY, while EBITDA increased 15% YoY. Recurring free cash flow rose 2.4% during this period.

Tesla Energy Ventures Limited has obtained a license to supply electricity to domestic and non-domestic consumers in the UK, according to the UK Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem).

The license took effect on Wednesday after Ofgem’s review and approval process from July 2025 to March 2026. It authorizes Tesla Energy Ventures Limited to supply electricity to households and businesses across the UK.

This article was translated with the assistance of AI. For more information, see our Terms of Use.