UK equities opened in negative territory on Thursday as the pound weakened below $1.34 and a sharp rise in oil prices dampened investor sentiment across European markets. The move came as geopolitical tensions pushed crude higher and several major UK-listed companies released updates.
Oil surged above $100 per barrel after Iran reportedly targeted tanker vessels, raising fears of potential supply disruptions. Authorities in Oman also evacuated ships from a key export terminal as a precaution, further fuelling concerns about energy flows in the Middle East and driving crude prices higher.
At around 08:22 GMT, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down about 0.5%. The British pound also declined, with GBP/USD slipping 0.2% to around 1.3385. Other major European markets followed suit, with Germany’s DAX down 0.2% and France’s CAC 40 falling 0.6%.
UK market round-up
Shell plc (LSE:SHEL) reported adjusted earnings of $18.5 billion for 2025, compared with $23.7 billion in 2024. Operating cash flow reached $42.9 billion, down from $54.7 billion a year earlier, while free cash flow totalled $26.1 billion, compared with $39.5 billion previously.
The energy major continued significant shareholder distributions during the year. Combined payouts amounted to roughly $22.4 billion, including $8.5 billion in dividends and $13.9 billion in share buybacks. These returns represented around 52% of operating cash flow, placing distributions at the upper end of the company’s 40%–50% target range.
Computacenter plc (LSE:CCC) also released its full-year 2025 results, reporting adjusted pre-tax profit of £272.0 million, up 7.1% year-on-year and in line with previously guided expectations.
Revenue climbed 32% to £9.19 billion, largely driven by expansion in the Technology Sourcing segment, where gross invoiced income rose 37.8% at constant currency. The technology services group reported strong momentum in North America while continuing to invest across the business.
Bridgepoint Group plc (LSE:BPT) posted full-year 2025 results ahead of forecasts, delivering an adjusted EBITDA result roughly 4% above expectations. The outperformance was attributed to higher catch-up fees and stronger performance-related earnings.
Underlying management fee income reached £427.7 million for the year ended 31 December 2025, representing 13% growth excluding catch-up fees booked in the prior year. The company reaffirmed forward guidance that exceeds analysts’ expectations for revenue growth and margin expansion.
Trainline plc (LSE:TRN) reported FY26 trading results showing total revenue of £453 million, an increase of 2% and at the top end of company guidance. The figure was slightly above market forecasts of £449 million.
Net ticket sales rose 6% on a constant-currency basis, within the group’s guidance range of 6%–9%, though at the lower end. The company also reported strong growth in ancillary revenue, which increased 17%.
M&G plc (LSE:MNG) reported net inflows of £7.8 billion from open business in 2025, reversing net outflows of £1.9 billion recorded in 2024.
Adjusted operating profit before tax came in at £838 million, broadly unchanged from £837 million the previous year. Assets under management and administration rose to £375.9 billion, up from £345.9 billion at the end of 2024.
Halma plc (LSE:HLMA) said it remains on track to meet its upgraded expectations for the 2026 financial year, first announced alongside its interim results.
The safety technology group reported that order intake continues to run ahead of both year-to-date revenue and the previous year’s performance, reflecting continued strong demand during the second half of the fiscal year.
Informa plc (LSE:INF) reported full-year 2025 results broadly in line with expectations and reiterated its outlook for 2026 despite disruption to travel in parts of the Middle East.
The B2B events and academic publishing company generated revenue of £4,041.4 million in 2025, representing reported growth of 13.7% and underlying growth of 6.3% from £3,553.1 million in 2024. Informa also increased its share buyback programme by £50 million, taking the total to £250 million.
Helios Towers plc (LSE:HTWS) reported fourth-quarter results that surpassed expectations for new site additions, profitability and free cash flow, according to analysis from Jefferies.
The telecommunications infrastructure company recorded revenue growth of 5.9% year-on-year for the quarter, while EBITDA increased 15%. Recurring free cash flow also rose 2.4% during the period.
Separately, Tesla Energy Ventures Limited has been granted a licence to supply electricity to domestic and business customers across Great Britain.
The licence was approved by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets following a regulatory review process conducted between July 2025 and March 2026. The approval allows the company to enter the UK retail electricity market and provide power to both household and commercial customers nationwide.
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