FTSE 100 news / Companies and sectors / Industrials and support services / 30 September 2026
Industrials and support services: sector news on Wednesday 30 September 2026
Average tone +3.0 (slightly positive) across 11 companies with relevant coverage, from 42 stories.
Company by company
| Company | Tone | Stories | What the coverage was about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compass Group | +6.5 | 8 | Coverage was mainly positive, led by reports that caterers including Compass see a multi-billion-dollar opportunity in feeding data-centre workers. |
| Experian | −0.3 | 8 | Coverage was mixed: the shares hit a 52-week low and slid over 2% with bearish technicals, while the launch of Cashflow Attributes for commercial lenders drew positive attention. |
| Rentokil Initial | −9.7 | 7 | Coverage centred on a Morgan Stanley downgrade to Equalweight with a lower price target, citing tougher US pest-control competition. |
| Smiths Group | +10.0 | 5 | Coverage focused on full-year results that beat expectations, with revenue growth, margin expansion and a net cash balance sheet, sending the shares higher. |
| Weir | −0.7 | 4 | Coverage was mostly routine, with reports of the CEO moving shares to a nominee account and general market commentary on Weir's position. |
| Spirax Group | +0.3 | 3 | Coverage was mainly about the planned retirement of non-executive director Angela Archon at the end of 2026 and the plan to replace her. |
| Diploma | +9.5 | 2 | Coverage focused on Diploma reporting 15% organic growth in the third quarter, alongside a share price rise that outperformed the market. |
| IMI | +4.7 | 2 | Coverage was limited, centred on a Deutsche Bank price target of 3,440p for IMI and commentary on its buyback and takeover interest. |
| Bunzl | +1.2 | 1 | Coverage was thin, with only a brief note of a small pre-market share price gain for Bunzl. |
| Halma | +4.5 | 1 | Coverage was a brief note that Halma's shares advanced on Tuesday and outperformed the wider market. |
| Intertek | +6.3 | 1 | The only relevant coverage asks whether new UK CBD rules could boost demand for Intertek's testing services, which leans positive though it is framed as a question. |
| Croda International | – | 0 | |
| DCC Energy | – | 0 |
Strongest stories in the sector
- +10.0 Smiths Group Shares Rise After Better-Than-Expected Results
Shares rose on better-than-expected results. - +10.0 Diploma stock reports 15.00 percent organic growth in Q3
Strong 15% organic growth reported for the third quarter. - −10.0 Morgan Stanley cuts Rentokil on tougher U.S. pest-control competition
Downgrade citing tougher US pest-control competition. - +10.0 Why Is Smiths (LSE:SMIN) Surging Up The FTSE 100 After Full-Year Results Show A Net Cash Balance Sheet?
Share surge after full-year results and net cash balance sheet. - −10.0 Morgan Stanley Downgrades Rentokil Initial to Equalweight, Cuts PT
Morgan Stanley downgrade to Equalweight with lower price target. - +10.0 Smiths Group Reports FY2026 Revenue Growth And Margin Expansion
Revenue growth and margin expansion reported for full year. - −10.0 Rentokil Initial's North America Problem Deepens as Morgan Stanley Steps Back
North America problems deepen as Morgan Stanley turns less positive. - −8.7 Why is Rentokil Initial stock sliding today?
Share price sliding, linked to broker downgrade. - −8.3 Rentokil Initial (LON:RTO) Sets New 12-Month Low - What's Next?
Shares hit new 12-month low, showing weak market confidence. - +7.8 Data Centers Create $3 Billion Opportunity for Catering Giants
Data centres create $3bn opportunity for catering giants. - +7.5 Caterers Tap $3B Data-Center Boom
Caterers including Compass see data-centre catering opportunity. - −7.5 Experian stock forecast: 52-week low signals negative sentiment
Shares at 52-week low; negative technical sentiment.
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