FTSE 100 news / Companies and sectors / Consumer staples / 13 October 2026
Consumer staples: sector news on Tuesday 13 October 2026
Average tone +3.9 (positive) across 8 companies with relevant coverage, from 58 stories.
Company by company
| Company | Tone | Stories | What the coverage was about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diageo | +0.3 | 17 | Coverage was split between escalating strike action at Diageo's Fife distilleries over job cuts and safety concerns, and positive signals including director share purchases, a Jefferies Buy rating and a rise in the share price. |
| Unilever | +2.0 | 10 | Coverage was mostly share-price notes showing Unilever edging higher, along with a solar investment at a Nairobi factory. |
| Reckitt | +5.5 | 9 | Coverage centred on Reckitt's upcoming third-quarter update, with UBS forecasting higher sales and the shares gaining nearly 2% alongside the ongoing buyback. |
| Associated British Foods | −1.3 | 7 | Coverage was mixed: a Primark toy recall, Greenpeace naming it among brands in Ghana's textile waste and a note on British Sugar changes weighed, while Primark's repair workshops and backing for the WRAP textile initiative, plus Twinings and Ovaltine agency wins, were modestly positive. |
| British American Tobacco | +1.2 | 7 | Coverage was mostly share price updates and buyback mentions, with one piece saying rate anxiety was lifting the stock. |
| Coca-Cola Europacific Partners | +6.2 | 4 | Coverage focused on a $39.7m can line upgrade at the Kewdale plant in Perth that increases capacity by 40%. |
| Imperial Brands | +5.7 | 3 | Coverage centred on Imperial Brands' £1.5 billion share buyback, including the cancellation of repurchased shares, and on continued value interest as buybacks go on. |
| Coca-Cola HBC | +10.0 | 1 | Coverage centred on Coca-Cola HBC being in focus after upgraded guidance, which leans positive. |
Strongest stories in the sector
- +10.0 Why Is Coca-Cola HBC (LSE:CCH) Stock In Focus After Its Upgraded Guidance As FTSE 100 Holds Steady?
Upgraded guidance puts the company in focus, which is positive. - +8.7 UBS Forecasts Higher Q3 Sales for Reckitt Benckiser Amid Broad-based Growth
UBS forecasts higher Q3 sales with broad-based growth - −8.3 Unite escalates strike at Diageo site over safety concerns
Union escalates strike over safety concerns at site. - −8.3 Strikes intensify at Cameronbridge distillery as dispute escalates
Strikes intensifying at Cameronbridge distillery; operational disruption risk. - −8.3 More than 100 Fife distillery workers take to the picket line over job cuts
Over 100 workers picketing over job cuts. - −7.5 Primark urgently recalls sold Halloween toy over heath risks
Primark product recall over health risks hurts reputation. - −7.5 Further strike action at Diageo Fife distillery
Further strike action at Fife distillery. - +7.5 Prediction: Diageo’s turnaround strategy will send its share price flying
Opinion piece predicts turnaround will lift share price. - +7.5 Imperial Brands announces GBP 1.5 billion buyback of Imperial Brands stock - ad-hoc-news.de
Large £1.5bn buyback programme supports shareholder returns and confidence. - +7.2 Reckitt Benckiser shares gain nearly 2% after ongoing buyback and bullish momentum signals
Shares gained nearly 2% with buyback and bullish momentum - +7.0 CCEP's $39.7m can line upgrade in Perth increases capacity 40%
$39.7m can line upgrade lifts Perth capacity 40%, a growth investment. - −6.7 Greenpeace names H&M, Primark, M&S among brands found in Ghana’s textile waste
Primark named by Greenpeace among brands in textile waste.