FTSE 100 Live: Centrica profit falls; Stocks dip after record rally Markets Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. It’s been quite the week for the “old and unexciting” FTSE 100. The blue-chip index closed 1.2 per cent higher on Tuesday led by a rally in the mining sector. Antofagasta led the pack up over 10 per cent, which came a day after its [...]
Rolls-Royce shares hit new high as FTSE 100 rallies to record Markets Rolls-Royce was among a whole host of City heavyweights storming higher on Wednesday helping the FTSE 100 seal another record. The aerospace giant jumped 2.2 per cent to 1,325.50p taking it to a new all-time high ahead of January’s previous peak of 1,305.00p. The move came as defence titan BAE System jumped near four per [...]
BAE Systems rides defence wave to dividend boost and record results Markets BAE Systems shareholders are set for a pay bump as the London-listed group has benefited from the wave of increased global defence spending. Sales at Europe’s largest defence contractor rose 10 per cent to a record £30.7bn, while underlying profit grew 12 per cent to £3.3bn. The group saw its total order backlog reach a [...]
Defence stocks rally after Starmer vows to ‘go faster’ on spending pledge February 17, 2026 Investors piled into defence stocks on Monday after Keir Starmer said the UK needed to “go faster” on defence spending to combat the growing threat from Russia. The Prime Minister warned that the UK needed to “step up” its defence commitments amid reports that he wants to ramp up the defence budget by tens of [...]
UK dividends jump in the final financial quarter of 2025 January 29, 2026 UK dividends rose in the final quarter of 2025, lifted by better than anticipated payouts across a range of sectors. Dividends jumped 1.3 per cent on a headline basis to £14.3bn, according to the latest dividend monitor figures from financial services company Computershare. Regular dividends, excluding one-off special payments, rose to £13.9bn, up 2.1 per [...]
FTSE 100 defence stocks boosted by Trump’s calls for military spending hike January 8, 2026 Shares in top FTSE 100 defence stocks were boosted on Thursday morning, following President Trump’s push for a 50 per cent boost to the US military budget. BAE Systems shares shot up 6.7 per cent following the market open to highs not seen since October, while Babcock rose by more than 2.2 per cent. President [...]
I’ve been speaking to CEOs all year – this is what they really think December 24, 2025 After spending a year interviewing some of the UK’s top business leaders, a number of themes have emerged which paint a concerning picture of their confidence in this country’s future prospects – but there is also hope. In 25 episodes of City AM‘s Boardroom Uncovered podcast series in 2025, a large number of the CEOs [...]
World is scariest it’s been since Cold War, BAE Systems boss warns December 2, 2025 The world is “probably the scariest it’s been” since the Cold War, the chief financial officer of FTSE 100 defence giant BAE Systems has warned. Brad Greve said the governments BAE Systems supplies “see a risk environment that’s unprecedented” and that the company’s “mission of protecting those who protect us is more important than it [...]
Defence stocks rise as Europe’s tensions with Russia escalate September 10, 2025 European defence stocks rallied on Wednesday after the shock arrival of Russian drones across the border with Poland sent tensions in the region to fresh highs. Shares in FTSE 100 giant BAE Systems closed up 2.1 per cent to 1,830p by the end of the day’s trading in London, while Italy’s Leonardo rose 2.4 per [...]
Norway’s record warship order sparks defence stock rally September 1, 2025 British defence stocks rallied across the board on Monday after Norway commissioned a record-breaking order of British-made warships and Babcock was handed an upgrade by a top stock broker. Shares in BAE Systems rose by nearly two per cent after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the Nato member had placed an order for five [...]