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NatWest Group (LON: NWG), the Edinburgh-based retail and commercial bank, said pre-tax profit rose 20% to £4.3bn in the first half, beating analyst estimates of around £4bn. Shares jumped 3.2% to close at 705.8p on Friday, a fresh 52-week high against a 52-week range of 500p to 722.6p, extending a rally that has taken the stock up around 4.4% over the week from 676p on 24 July.

The FTSE 100 pushed to a fresh intraday record on Friday morning, up 0.7%, as investors shrugged off Middle East tensions. The FTSE 250 has added 0.5%, while European peers rallied harder, with the DAX rising 1.2%, the CAC 40 gaining 1%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 climbing 1.1% amid a broader global risk rebound. Sentiment comes a day after the Bank of England held interest rates at 3.75% in a split 6-3 vote, with three MPC members backing a hike.

Shares in J Sainsbury plc (LON: SBRY) rose sharply on Friday after the supermarket giant announced it has agreed to sell Argos to Swift Partners, a newly formed retail investment vehicle. Sainsbury’s stock opened at 379p, up from Thursday’s close of 355.7p, and gained as much as 7% intraday to a high of 380.3p, before settling around 366.8p — a rise of roughly 3.1% on the day, on elevated trading volume.

Shares in Taylor Wimpey (LON: TW.) fell sharply on Friday, dropping around 3.9% to 79.79p, after the UK housebuilder cut its shareholder distribution policy alongside half-year results that highlighted a tougher-than-expected market backdrop. For the six months to 28 June 2026, Taylor Wimpey reported revenue up 1.7% to £1.68bn, but adjusted operating profit fell 19.4% to £129.7m, with margins compressing to 7.7% from 9.7% a year earlier.

HSBC upgraded Centrica (LON: CNA) to Buy from Hold on Thursday, telling investors that a sharp share-price decline has opened up an attractive entry point despite the broker trimming its price target. HSBC lowered its target to 200 pence from 205 pence on reduced estimates, but moved to a positive stance with the stock down 29% from its April highs.

Shares of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALNY) plunged as much as 29% on Thursday, July 30, 2026, closing down roughly 27.8% at $206.88, after the RNAi therapeutics company reported second-quarter results that fell short of Wall Street’s lofty expectations and lowered its full-year outlook. The selloff centered on disappointing sales of Amvuttra, Alnylam’s flagship treatment for transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR).

Shares in Aviva (LON: AV.) have pushed to the upper end of their 52-week range in recent sessions, trading around 695.8p after touching an intraday peak of 698p on Thursday — just shy of the stock’s 52-week high. The FTSE 100 insurer has now climbed roughly 21% above its 52-week low of 566.7p, set back in April, as investors reward a run of strong operational updates and progress on strategic targets. The rally has been underpinned by robust fundamentals.

Berenberg raised its rating on Rio Tinto (LON: RIO) to “Buy” from “Hold” on Thursday, July 30, 2026, citing an improved cash flow outlook and what it called a compelling valuation for the Anglo-Australian mining giant. Analyst Richard Hatch lifted the broker’s price target to 8,600p from 8,100p, implying meaningful upside from current levels. Berenberg’s separate US dollar-denominated target was also raised, to $113 from $107.

Shares in Ceres Power Holdings (LON: CWR) staged a sharp rebound on Thursday, topping the FTSE 250 leaderboard as investors piled back into the fuel cell technology group following a bruising few weeks for the stock. The Horsham-based company’s shares jumped as much as 10% intraday, touching a high of 348p, before settling around 343.2p by the afternoon session — a gain of over 8% on the previous close of 316.8p.

Foxtons Group (LON: FOXT), the London-focused estate agency, said pre-tax profit fell 57% to £4.4m in the six months to 30 June, hit by a weak sales market and tenants exiting rentals early. The shares were little changed on the news. Foxtons shares were roughly flat to slightly higher today, trading around 40p against a previous close of 39.7p. Earnings per share dropped 60% to 1.0p, while group revenue slipped 3% to £83.7m.