FTSE 100 news / Companies and sectors / Consumer staples / 2 October 2026
Consumer staples: sector news on Friday 2 October 2026
Average tone +2.6 (slightly positive) across 8 companies with relevant coverage, from 86 stories.
Company by company
| Company | Tone | Stories | What the coverage was about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diageo | −2.0 | 22 | Coverage was split between a legal win, with the '100% agave' tequila class action dismissed, and negatives including strikes at Scottish plants, the closure of the Baltimore Guinness brewery and a loss on the sale of stakes. |
| British American Tobacco | +2.0 | 15 | Coverage centred on the share price weakness after the capital markets day and updated growth strategy, with Bank of America seeing limited implications for consensus. |
| Unilever | +5.0 | 14 | Coverage was mixed but leaned positive, helped by a strong session after a forecast raise and a Bernstein Buy rating. |
| Reckitt | +1.2 | 12 | Coverage was mixed: the planned Nutley R&D facility, marketing hires and brand activity were positive. |
| Associated British Foods | +3.0 | 10 | Coverage was mostly positive Primark news, including store openings, a supply agreement, a Liverpool deal and a new product range. |
| Imperial Brands | +1.0 | 7 | Coverage was mixed, with the continuing share buyback and some constructive investment ideas offset by commentary that the falling share price is not yet a bargain and that the stock sits well below its 52-week high. |
| Coca-Cola HBC | +7.5 | 5 | Coverage was mainly Deutsche Bank naming Coca-Cola HBC as a top European stock pick for the fourth quarter. |
| Coca-Cola Europacific Partners | +3.0 | 1 | Coverage was mostly routine share capital and voting rights notices. |
Strongest stories in the sector
- +10.0 What Powered Unilever (LSE:ULVR) To Its Strongest Session In Two Years After A Forecast Raise?
Strongest session in two years after forecast raise - +10.0 Deutsche Bank names Entain, BAT, ICG, and Coca-Cola HBC as top European stock picks for Q4 2026
Deutsche Bank names it a top European stock pick. - +10.0 UK shares Entain, BAT, ICG and Coca-Cola HBC make Deutsche Bank’s top picks
Included in Deutsche Bank's top picks, a positive endorsement. - +9.2 Bernstein reiterates Buy for Unilever stock
Bernstein reiterates Buy rating - −8.3 Why Did Associated British Foods (LSE:ABF) Shares Drop As Sugar Losses Eclipsed Primark Resilience?
Shares dropped as sugar losses outweighed Primark resilience. - −8.3 British American Tobacco stock slumps nearly 4% as updated growth strategy fails to boost sentiment
Shares slumped as updated strategy failed to lift sentiment - +8.3 BAT shares seen rebounding as Citi and Deutsche Bank back delivery prospects
Citi and Deutsche back delivery prospects, rebound expected - −8.3 GMB to escalate strikes at Diageo
Union strikes set to escalate at Diageo. - −8.3 Strikes at Diageo’s Cameronbridge intensify
Strikes intensifying at Cameronbridge plant. - −8.3 All out strike planned at Fife Diageo plant over redundancy threat
All-out strike planned over redundancy threat. - +7.8 Diageo defeats false labeling lawsuit over '100% agave' tequilas
Diageo defeats false labelling lawsuit over agave tequilas. - +7.7 Johnnie Walker parent Diageo defeats false-labelling lawsuit over ‘100% agave’ tequilas
Defeats false-labelling lawsuit over agave tequilas.