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Haleon reiterates FY guidance, Aston Martin Q1 losses narrow
By Iain Gilbert
Date: Wednesday 29 Apr 2026
(Sharecast News) - LONDON PRE-OPEN
The FTSE 100 was expected to open 7.6 points lower ahead of the bell on Wednesday, after wrapping up the previous session 0.11% firmer at 10,332.79.
STOCKS TO WATCH
Healthcare giant Haleon reiterated full-year guidance on Wednesday, despite a poor cold and flu season weighing on first quarter sales. Haleon saw revenues edge up 0.1% in the three months ended 31 March, or by 2.2% on an organic basis, to £2.86bn. Prices rose 2.4%, while volumes eased 0.2%, with the impact of the weaker-than-usual cold and flu season estimated at around 130 basis points. However, looking to the full year and Haleon - which was spun out of GSK in 2022 - said it remained on track to deliver organic revenue growth of between 3% and 5%.
Luxury car maker Aston Martin held guidance as it narrowed first-quarter losses and said the Iran war had so far had not impacted earnings. Aston Martin reported a pre-tax loss of £65.5m, compared with £79.6m a year ago, with total wholesale volumes down 1% to 939 vehicles. Revenues rose 16% to £270.4m.
Drugmaker AstraZeneca said it had delivered solid revenue growth and a series of positive late‑stage trial readouts in the first quarter, reinforcing the firm's confidence in meeting its 2030 ambitions. AstraZeneca said total revenue roses 8% at constant exchange rates in the first quarter to $15.29bn, driven by double‑digit growth across its oncology and rare‑disease portfolios. Product sales increased 7% to $14.39bn, while alliance revenue climbed 26% to $825m. Reported earnings per share came in 6% higher at $1.99, with core EPS up 5% to $2.58.
Lloyds Banking Group reiterated its full-year guidance as it reported a 33% jump in first-quarter pre-tax profits to £2.0bn. Underlying net interest income rose 8% on the year to £3.6bn. Lloyds said this reflects a higher banking net interest margin of 3.17%, up 14 basis points year-on-year.
NEWSPAPER ROUND-UP
Britain is facing a £35bn economic hit and the risk of a recession this year as the fallout from the Iran war adds to the pressure on Keir Starmer's government, a leading thinktank has warned. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research said that even under a best-case scenario the UK economy would grow at a much slower pace this year and next because of the Middle East conflict. - Guardian
Downing Street has dismissed the idea of a freeze on private sector rents even as Rachel Reeves left the door open to such a move, after the Guardian revealed the chancellor has been considering it as an option to cut the cost of living. A No 10 spokesperson said on Tuesday that freezing private sector rents was "not the approach we will be taking" after sources told the Guardian it was Reeves's preferred solution for dealing with a spike in housing costs in the wake of the Iran war. - Guardian
The former Telegraph owners Aidan and Howard Barclay have narrowly avoided bankruptcy after reaching a settlement with HSBC over more than £140m in overdue debts. The bank said it had withdrawn bankruptcy proceedings against the brothers in a High Court hearing on Tuesday. The agreement comes after the brothers agreed to a debt repayment plan known as an Individual Voluntary Arrangement. - Telegraph
The Iran war risks causing food shortages as soaring fertiliser prices push more farmers to the brink, the World Bank has warned. As many as 45m people worldwide could face "acute food insecurity" this year if the conflict in the Middle East continues, the organisation said. It follows a warning that farmers will struggle to keep up food production as they face a 31% increase in fertiliser prices this year. - Telegraph
Interest rates should be left unchanged by the Bank of England this Thursday, The Times shadow monetary policy committee urged, but a large proportion of the panel said that they should be increased for the first time since 2023 to deal with the Middle East inflation shock. The shadow MPC narrowly voted 5-4 in favour of keeping the base rate of interest at 3.75%, where it has stood since December. - The Times
US CLOSE
Major indices fell on Tuesday with investors taking profits ahead of a number of key risk events over the coming days, while worries about the AI boom dented shares in the heavyweight chip sector.
At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.05% at 49,141.93, while the S&P 500 shed 0.49% to 7,138.80, and the Nasdaq Composite saw out the session 0.90% weaker at 24,663.80.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
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