FTSE 100 movers: WPP gains after update; Haleon tumbles. London's FTSE 100 was up 0.4% at 10,741.96 in afternoon trade on Thursday. Advertising firm WPP was the top gainer as it reiterated its full-year guidance and posted a slight uptick in third-quarter revenues. In the three months to September end, revenue nudged up 0.5% on a reported and like-for-like basis to £3.3bn. However, revenue less pass-through costs fell 2% to £2.4bn, or 2.1% on a like-for-like basis. Haleon tumbled after the consumer healthcare firm cut its full-year organic revenue growth guidance, pointing to soft third-quarter cold and flu sales. The company now expects 2026 organic revenue growth of around 2.5%, down from previous guidance of 3% to 5%. In the three months to September end, organic revenue growth was 2.6%, below the company's expectations, with price up 2.1% and volume/mix up 0.5%. Haleon, which makes Sensodyne and Panadol, among others, hailed continued strength in Oral Health - which saw an 8.8% rise in organic revenue to £930m - but said its performance was held back by soft cold and flu consumption, which led to lower orders in North America. St James's Place also lost ground despite saying that funds under management reached a record £242.4bn in the third quarter after another quarter of net inflows. Lloyds Banking Group was under the cosh despite saying it was on track to meet 2026 guidance as it posted a rise in third-quarter pre-tax profit and net income that met analysts' expectations. In the three months to September end, pre-tax profit increased to £2.3bn from £1.2bn in the same period a year earlier, versus expectations of £2.28bn. Net interest income was 10% higher at £3.8bn, in line with analysts' expectations, while net income came in at £5.1bn, up from £4.6bn and also broadly in line with expectations. Neil Wilson, UK investor strategist at Saxo Markets, said the reaction to the results "implies investors are worried about the tax increases in the Budget and requiring a higher bar for earnings". FTSE 100 - Risers FTSE 100 - Fallers

FTSE 100 rises 28 points as Shell profits surge and WPP rallies. Abm October 29, 2026 Share via: London stocks ended higher on Thursday, with the FTSE 100 gaining 0.3% as stronger-than-expected earnings from Shell and a rally in WPP helped offset heavy losses for Haleon, while investors assessed interest rate decisions in Europe and the United States. The FTSE 100 closed 27.57 points higher at 10,722.07, while the FTSE 250 advanced 0.1% to 24,674.16 and the AIM All-Share gained 0.3% to 763.45. European markets also strengthened, with France's CAC 40 rising 1.1% and Germany's DAX gaining 1.3%, following the European Central Bank's decision to leave interest rates unchanged. The ECB maintained its deposit rate at 2.50%, its main refinancing rate at 2.65% and its marginal lending rate at 2.90%, while warning that elevated energy prices continued to threaten the inflation outlook and economic growth. The decision followed confirmation that ECB President Christine Lagarde will step down on 7 February 2027, eight months before her scheduled departure in October. Lagarde, who has led the central bank since November 2019, announced her decision as policymakers face renewed inflationary pressures linked to higher energy costs. JPMorgan analyst Greg Fuzesi said the ECB's decision had been widely expected, although comments from Lagarde suggested that policymakers had considered raising rates. JPMorgan expects a quarter-point interest rate increase in December, followed by another potential rise in March 2027, reflecting concerns that inflation could remain elevated. In currency markets, sterling strengthened to $1.3369 against the US dollar, compared with $1.3310 on Wednesday, while rising against the euro to €1.1977. Wall Street traded lower around London's close, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 both slipping 0.3%, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 1.3%. The decline was driven partly by a sharp sell-off in Alphabet, whose shares plunged approximately 12% following disappointing quarterly results. Investors reacted negatively to weaker-than-expected revenue and earnings, declining free cash flow and slower growth in Google's core Search business. David Morrison of Trade Nation said the results raised questions about whether competing artificial intelligence platforms were beginning to erode Google's traditional search dominance. The sell-off also highlighted growing scrutiny of the substantial capital expenditure required to develop AI infrastructure and whether those investments will generate sufficient returns. The Federal Reserve's decision to leave US interest rates unchanged on Wednesday also remained in focus, particularly as fresh inflation figures reinforced concerns about persistent price pressures. US personal consumption expenditures inflation accelerated to 3.6% in September from 3.4% in August, while the core measure, which excludes food and energy, increased to 3.1% from 3.0%. Both readings matched market expectations but remained above the Federal Reserve's 2% inflation target. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh reiterated the central bank's commitment to restoring price stability, although investors remain divided over how quickly policymakers will raise borrowing costs. Morgan Stanley expects two further quarter-point rate increases in December and March, taking the federal funds target range to 4.25%-4.50%. Back in London, WPP led the FTSE 100 gainers, jumping 5.4% to 404.90p, after maintaining its full-year guidance following a third-quarter trading performance broadly in line with expectations. The advertising and marketing group reported revenue of £3.27 billion, up 0.5%, although revenue excluding pass-through costs declined 2% to £2.41 billion. WPP continues implementing its Elevate28 turnaround strategy, aimed at improving operational performance and strengthening its competitive position. Shell gained 2.1% after reporting a near doubling of third-quarter adjusted earnings to $10.81 billion, compared with $5.43 billion a year earlier. The result exceeded analyst expectations of approximately $10.33 billion, supported by stronger refining margins, higher realised liquefied natural gas prices and increased production volumes within its Integrated Gas business. The energy giant also announced an increase in its quarterly share buyback programme, reinforcing its commitment to shareholder returns. RBC Capital Markets said Shell's earnings and cash flow performance demonstrated its ability to benefit from disruption across international oil, gas and refined product markets. Haleon was the FTSE 100's biggest faller, plunging 15% to 317.70p, after cutting its full-year revenue growth guidance following weaker-than-expected third-quarter trading. The consumer healthcare group now expects 2026 organic revenue growth of approximately 2.5%, down from its previous forecast of 3%-5%. Quarterly revenue increased 2.5% to £2.87 billion, but organic growth of 2.6% fell short of market expectations of 3.4%. The company attributed the weaker performance to subdued cold and flu demand in North America and regulatory changes affecting imports of Centrum products into China. Lloyds Banking Group also declined, falling to 98.66p, while St James's Place, Rio Tinto and Diageo were among the other major blue-chip fallers. Additional FTSE 100 gainers included 3i Group, London Stock Exchange Group, ICG and Melrose Industries, helping the index maintain its positive position despite weakness elsewhere. In commodity markets, Brent crude eased to $113.75 a barrel, compared with $116.37 on Wednesday, amid renewed diplomatic efforts to revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Reports suggested US Vice President JD Vance had contacted Iranian officials in an attempt to establish a framework for renewed peace discussions. Gold also slipped, trading at $4,012.39 an ounce, compared with $4,039.18 a day earlier. US Treasury yields were relatively stable, with the 10-year yield easing to 5.00%, while the 30-year yield remained at 5.33%. The FTSE 100's advance reflected strength in selected heavyweight companies rather than a broad market rally, with Shell's exceptional earnings and WPP's maintained guidance providing support despite disappointing results elsewhere. Investors remain focused on the interaction between corporate profitability, inflation and monetary policy, particularly as rising energy costs continue to influence central bank decisions. Attention will now turn to Friday's third-quarter results from NatWest, BP and AstraZeneca, alongside the Bank of Japan's interest rate announcement, European inflation figures and Canadian economic growth data, as markets assess the outlook for the final months of 2026. If anyone reads this article found it useful, helpful? Then please subscribe www.share-talk.com or follow SHARE TALK on its Twitter page for future updates. Terms of Website Use All information is provided on an as-is basis. 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HLN stock slides as momentum breaks key support. TIM BOHEN - UPDATED OCT. 29, 2026, 12:34 PM ET Summarize this article Haleon plc faces heightened investor concern over product litigation risks, with stocks having been trading down by -14.55 percent. Key takeaways. * Price action in HLN shows a sharp break from the $10 range down toward the mid-$8s, signaling a change in short-term momentum. * Intraday HLN trading has shifted into a tight consolidation band around $8.50, suggesting traders are debating the next leg. * Profit margins at Haleon plc remain strong, but revenue growth is flat to slightly negative over three years. * HLN carries moderate leverage with a low current ratio, so balance-sheet strength is solid but not bulletproof. * Active traders are watching prior support near $8.80-$9.00 on HLN as a key area for potential bounces or further breakdowns. Live Update At 12:33:59 EDT: On Thursday, October 29, 2026 Haleon plc stock [NYSE: HLN] is trending down by -14.55%! Discover the key drivers behind this movement as well as its expert analysis in the detailed breakdown below. Quick financial overview. HLN, the consumer-health spinout now trading on its own, is a classic "steady business, choppy stock" setup. Haleon plc posts about $11.03B in annual revenue with a healthy gross margin near 65%. That means HLN keeps roughly two-thirds of every sales dollar after basic product costs, a strong base for a defensive name. On the bottom line, HLN runs an EBIT margin of 22% and profit margin around 14-15%. Those are solid numbers, not hyper-growth tech, but the kind of dependable earnings traders often lean on in volatile markets. The trade-off is growth: revenue over the last three years is slightly negative, so the HLN story is more about efficiency and brand power than rapid expansion. Valuation is middle of the road. A P/E around 19.4 and price-to-sales near 2.75 put HLN in "reasonably priced quality" territory, not a deep value bargain but not a bubble either. Debt metrics matter here. Total debt to equity at 0.5 and interest coverage at 8.8 show Haleon plc can handle its obligations, though a current ratio of 0.7 keeps pressure on cash management. For traders, HLN looks like a stable earnings machine currently dealing with unstable price action. Why traders are watching HLN price support. The real story for active traders is the chart. HLN spent much of the recent daily action grinding higher from the high-$8s to the low-$10s. Then the floor gave out. After closing at $10.00, Haleon plc dropped hard into the mid-$8s, finishing the latest session around $8.545. That's more than a 14% slide from recent highs near $10.37, a clear signal that momentum bulls lost control. On the multi-day chart, HLN had been respecting the $9.50-$10.30 band, with a slow, steady uptrend. When a defensive consumer-health name like Haleon plc suddenly cracks that range, experienced traders pay attention. That kind of move often means bigger funds rotated out, or that expectations simply got ahead of reality. Zoom into the intraday 5-minute data and HLN shows a classic "gap-down, grind-sideways" pattern. Pre-market prints ran near $8.80-$8.90. The regular-session open around $8.55 saw an early push to $8.75, then a steady bleed down toward the low-$8.40s before a mild midday bounce to the $8.50s. Range tightened quickly, with HLN oscillating roughly between $8.40 and $8.60 for hours. That compression tells traders the panic phase passed, at least for now, and Haleon plc has slipped into decision mode. Either HLN holds this $8.40-$8.60 area and builds a base, or it loses that line and heads toward prior support from early in the run. For short-term players, the key levels are simple. On the upside, reclaiming $8.90-$9.00 would show HLN regaining lost ground and possibly turning the breakdown into a shakeout. On the downside, a decisive break under $8.40 with volume would likely invite more selling as stops trigger. With HLN's solid but not blazing fundamentals, this is the kind of tape where chart discipline matters more than storytelling. Conclusion. HLN sits at an interesting crossroads where strong fundamentals meet weak price action. Haleon plc runs a profitable, wide-margin consumer-health operation with a 22% EBIT margin, respectable returns on equity, and a reasonable P/E for the sector. At the same time, revenue growth is soft, leverage is manageable but present, and the current ratio under 1 means Haleon plc cannot relax on liquidity. Traders in HLN need to respect that contrast. The long-term story is steady brands and cash flow. The short-term story is a broken $10 level, heavy selling pressure, and a new battle line around the mid-$8s. Until HLN either reclaims lost resistance or knifes through support, this is a textbook wait-for-the-chart setup, not a "close your eyes and hope" situation. As Tim Bohen, lead trainer with StocksToTrade says, "A good trade setup checks all the boxes - volume, trend, catalyst. Don't trade if you're missing pieces of the puzzle." In the case of HLN, that means patiently waiting until the chart, liquidity, and catalysts all align instead of forcing trades based only on the fundamental story. For newer traders tracking HLN, this is where discipline separates pros from gamblers. As Tim Sykes loves to say, "The market doesn't care about your opinion, it cares about price action - so trade the chart, not the story." Haleon plc gives you the quality backdrop; HLN's chart tells you when the timing actually makes sense. This content is for educational and research purposes only and should not be taken as investment advice. This is stock news, not investment advice. StocksToTrade News delivers real-time stock market updates tailored to highlight the key catalysts driving short-term price movements. Its coverage is designed for active traders and investors who thrive in fast-moving markets, with a focus on volatile sectors like penny stocks, AI stocks, Robinhood stocks and other momentum plays. From earnings reports and FDA approvals to mergers, new contracts, and unusual trading volume, StocksToTrade, Inc. break down the events that can spark significant price action. Looking to level up your trading game? Explore StocksToTrade, the ultimate platform for traders. With powerful tools designed for swing and day trading, integrated news scanning, and even social media monitoring, StocksToTrade keeps you one step ahead. Once your watchlist is set, take the next step and trade with confidence using StocksToTrade's robust platform. 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