UK dividends jump in the final financial quarter of 2025 Investing 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 Markets 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 Business 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 [...]
Defence: Babcock, BAE, Rolls-Royce plunge on Ukraine summit August 19, 2025 London-listed defence stocks plunged across the board on Tuesday, after this week’s talks between Washington and Ukraine led traders to pare back bets on the role that European countries will play in any post-ceasefire peacekeeping efforts. Shares in FTSE-100 engineering group Babcock – one of the best performing companies on the London Stock Exchange this [...]
BAE shares slip despite guidance upgrade July 30, 2025 BAE shares slipped in early morning trade on Wednesday despite Britain’s biggest defence business upgraded its earnings guidance. The FTSE 100 firm increased its full year sales forecasts to growth of 8-10 per cent, up from 7-9 per cent, with underlying pre-tax earnings set to grow 9-11 per cent, up from 8-10 per cent. However, [...]
Retail investors cool on AI and pile into defence sector July 30, 2025 Retail investor appetite for AI stocks has cooled as geopolitical tensions spark a surge in enthusiasm for the defence sector. Over 50 per cent of retail investors believe the defence sector will deliver the strongest growth over the next six months, according to new research from online investing and trading platform IG. AI-related industries slipped [...]
Starmer calls for ‘moment to unite’ as Nato agrees defence pledge June 25, 2025 Keir Starmer said the latest Nato summit represented a “moment to unite” as 32 member countries committed to ramp up spending on defence to 3.5 per cent by 2035, with a further 1.5 per cent allocated towards security and infrastructure. The Prime Minister said investment will go towards cyber security and protecting key infrastructure while [...]