LLoyds posts better-than-expected FY profit growth, EasyJet reiterates FY guidance
By Iain Gilbert
Date: Thursday 29 Jan 2026
(Sharecast News) - LONDON PRE-OPEN
The FTSE 100 was expected to open 25.1 points higher ahead of the bell on Thursday, after wrapping up the previous session 0.52% lower at 10,154.43.
STOCKS TO WATCH
Lloyds Bank reported a better-than-expected 12% jump in annual profits on Thursday, driven by higher income which offset the £800m its set aside to compensate customers who were mis-sold motor finance. The lender posted pre-tax earnings of £6.7bn, beating forecasts of £6.4bn. It also lifted its performance estimates for 2026, including a return on tangible equity greater of more than 16% and underlying net interest income of £14.9bn. The board also announced a share buyback programme of up to £1.75bn and said it would now review excess capital distributions in addition to the ordinary dividend every half year
EasyJet reiterated full-year guidance on Thursday, on the back on robust first-quarter sales and growing demand for summer holidays. The budget carrier said available seat kilometres capacity rose 9% year-on-year in the three months to 31 December, with passenger numbers up 7% and its load factor two percentage points stronger at 90%. While EasyJet's headline loss widened to £93m, from £61m a year earlier, it said bookings were "building well" for the summer season, and left its full-year outlook unchanged.
Private equity firm 3i has reported a further rise in net asset value over the nine months to December, supported by another strong year from Action, which continued to drive the group's overall performance. 3i said on Thursday that NAV per share increased from 2,857p on 30 September to 3,017p at the end of December, with its 20% total return for the period being aided by favourable currency movements.
NEWSPAPER ROUND-UP
The Original Factory Shop homeware chain has called in administrators, putting 1,200 jobs at risk, putting the decision partly down to higher costs from government policies. Administrators from Interpath have been appointed at the 137-store discount retailer, which was bought by the private equity firm Modella Capital less than a year ago. - Guardian
Water bills in England and Wales will rise by an average of £33 per household in April, in the latest above-inflation increase intended to fix leaking pipes and sewage treatment works. The increase will push the average annual water bill to £639 in the year from 1 April, up 5.4% on the previous year, according to figures published on Thursday by Water UK, a lobby group for the industry. - Guardian
CityFibre is to cut hundreds of jobs as the debt-laden broadband firm braces for a wave of consolidation across the industry. The British telecoms group, which is backed by Goldman Sachs and Abu Dhabi's Mubadala fund, on Wednesday outlined plans to slash 450 roles, almost a third of its 1,400-strong workforce. The company said the redundancies will predominantly affect engineers as it shifts focus from building a full-fibre network to buying up struggling rivals. - Telegraph
Sir Sadiq Khan has been accused of exaggerating his affordable homes push by falsely claiming to have started thousands of new developments. New figures from data group Molior suggests the Mayor of London has been counting early-stage developments - such as buildings slated for demolition as well as blueprints for new homes - towards his total of affordable homes under construction. - Telegraph
Partners at KPMG have surpassed their rivals at PwC to become the second-best paid among the Big Four accountancy firms. Distributable profits per partner averaged £880,000 in the 12 months to September 30, 2025, an 11% increase from the previous year. It puts KPMG's average partner pay higher than that of EY at £787,000 and PwC at £865,000, but it remains below Deloitte's average of over £1m. - The Times
US CLOSE
Major indices were little changed at the close of trading on Wednesday as investors digested the Federal Reserve's decision to keep its benchmark overnight interest rate unchanged.
At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.02% at 49,015.60, while the S&P 500 dipped 0.01% to 6,978.03, and the Nasdaq Composite saw out the session 0.17% firmer at 23,857.45.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
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