28th Oct 2026 10:31
(Alliance News) - The following are the leading risers and fallers among FTSE 100 and 250 index constituents on Wednesday.
----------
FTSE 100 WINNERS
----------
Standard Chartered PLC, up 2.7% at 2,074.00 pence, increases guidance on strong third-quarter figures
----------
Babcock International Group PLC, up 1.8% at 1,010.75p
----------
Metlen Energy & Metals PLC, up 1.5% at EUR49.17
----------
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, up 1.4% at USD166.28
----------
Polar Capital Technology Trust PLC, up 1.4% at 638.00p, US tech stocks rally and SK Hynix reports surge in third-quarter operating profit
----------
FTSE 100 LOSERS
----------
GSK PLC, down 4.8% at 1,831.50p, reports decline in third-quarter profit
----------
Unilever PLC, down 2.2% at 4,784.50p, makes slight upgrade in expected volume growth
----------
Pearson PLC, down 1.3% at 1,308.00p
----------
Burberry Group PLC, down 1.3% at 1,032.25p
----------
Croda International PLC, down 1.2% at 3,583.00p
----------
FTSE 250 WINNERS
----------
Raspberry Pi Holdings PLC, up 4.8% at 583.00 pence, tech stocks rally
----------
Oxford Nanopore Technologies PLC, up 3.6% at 233.70p, Deutsche Bank raises price target to 260p from 210p
----------
Pennon Group PLC, up 2.7% at 348.90p
----------
Vesuvius PLC, up 2.6% at 473.00p
----------
Schroder Asian Total Return Investment Co PLC, up 2.2% at 663.00p
----------
FTSE 250 LOSERS
----------
Hunting PLC, down 11% at 377.75p, cuts full-year 2026 adjusted Ebitda guidance
----------
Wag Payment Solutions PLC, down 2.2% at 105.60p
----------
Johnson Matthey PLC, down 2.0% at 2,418.00p
----------
Bytes Technology Group PLC, down 1.6% at 465.80p
----------
Ceres Power Holdings PLC, down 1.6% at 283.70p
----------
FTSE 100 & 250 movers in focus:
----------
Standard Chartered PLC, up 2.7% at 2,074.00 pence, 12-month range 1,471.50p-2,364.00p. The Asia-focused bank raises its full-year guidance after reporting a 27% increase in third-quarter pretax profit to USD2.25 billion from USD1.78 billion a year earlier. Operating income rises 13% to USD5.78 billion from USD5.11 billion, while net interest income grows 4.3% to USD1.47 billion from USD1.41 billion. Basic earnings per share jump 55% to 68.9 US cents from 44.5 cents. Standard Chartered now expects full-year operating income growth to exceed its previous guidance range of 5% to 7%. Chief Executive Bill Winters says the bank delivered "another strong quarter", with broad-based growth across its businesses and year-to-date earnings per share up 27%. He believes that structural shifts in global trade, investment and wealth creation continue to present significant opportunities for the lender.
----------
GSK PLC, down 4.8% at 1,831.50 pence, 12-month range 1,624.50p-2,282.00p. The pharmaceutical maker reports better-than-expected third-quarter earnings, although weaker sales of its Shingrix shingles vaccine and Arexvy respiratory syncytial virus vaccine weigh on its Vaccines division. Pretax profit falls 21% to GBP1.94 billion from GBP2.46 billion a year earlier, while revenue rises 4.0% to GBP8.89 billion from GBP8.55 billion, slightly ahead of GBP8.84 billion consensus. Core operating profit increases 3.0% to GBP3.08 billion, beating expectations of GBP2.93 billion, while core earnings per share edge down to 54.6p from 55.0p but exceed consensus of 50.4p. Specialty Medicines sales grow 15% at constant currency to GBP3.88 billion, driven by HIV, respiratory and oncology treatments. However, Vaccines sales decline 2.0% to GBP2.58 billion, missing expectations of GBP2.62 billion, as Shingrix sales fall 5% and Arexvy sales slump 24%. GSK maintains its full-year guidance for revenue growth of 3.0% to 5.0% and core operating profit and EPS growth of 7.0% to 9%, all at constant exchange rates. It expects revenue and core operating profit growth towards the upper half of their respective ranges, but EPS growth towards the lower half. The company declares a third-quarter dividend of 17p per share and continues to expect a full-year payout of 70p.
----------
Unilever PLC, down 2.2% at 4,784.50 pence, 12-month range 3,644.00p-5,542.11p. The consumer goods group raises its full-year 2026 underlying volume growth outlook to at least 3.0% following strong third-quarter trading. Turnover rises 6.7% to EUR13.3 billion, with underlying sales growth of 5.2%, comprising volume growth of 2.9% and price growth of 2.3%. Home Care leads the performance with underlying sales growth of 9.1%, followed by Personal Care at 6.3% and Beauty & Wellbeing at 5.7%, while Foods remains broadly flat. Emerging markets deliver underlying sales growth of 9.5%, offsetting a 0.9% decline in developed markets. Unilever maintains its full-year underlying sales growth guidance of 4.0% to 6.0% and continues to expect a modest improvement in its underlying operating margin from 20% in 2025. The planned combination of its Foods business with McCormick remains on track, Unilever says. It declares a third-quarter dividend of EUR0.4664 per share, unchanged from the second quarter and up 3.0% year-on-year.
----------
Hunting PLC, down 11% at 377.75 pence, 12-month range 4.50p-7.50p. Hunting cuts its full-year 2026 adjusted Ebitda guidance to USD128 million to USD133 million, citing disruption from the ongoing Middle East conflict, slowing activity in North America and supply chain issues affecting its Advanced Manufacturing business. The precision engineering group reports year-to-date Ebitda of USD89 million, representing a margin of around 12%. Hunting says reduced drilling activity in Saudi Arabia and logistical disruption across the Middle East are weighing on its Hunting Titan and Asia Pacific operations, although its Subsea Technologies business continues to perform strongly.
----------
By Eva Castanedo, Alliance News senior economics reporter
Comments and questions to [email protected]
Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Related Shares:
Standard CharteredBabcockMetlen EnergyInterContinental HotelsPolar Capital Technology TrustGlaxosmithklineUnileverPearsonBurberryCroda InternationalRaspberry PiOxford Nanopore TechnologiesPennonVesuviusSchroder AsianHuntingEW GroupJohnson MattheyBytes TechCeres Power