FTSE 100 news / Companies and sectors / National Grid
National Grid news analysis
National Grid (LSE: NG) is in the FTSE 100. 20 of the last 21 days had relevant coverage.
Latest: Tuesday 20 October 2026
−5.5 from 6 relevant stories. Coverage leaned negative, with reports of staff accusing bosses of covering up blackout risks and engineers doubting the grid's ability to cope with renewables. Citi cut its price target while keeping a Hold rating, and the shares slipped on Monday.
Tone over time
Coverage of National Grid worsened between 30 September 2026 and 20 October 2026
Daily news tone, from −10 (clearly bad) to +10 (clearly good). Gaps are days with no relevant stories.
Tone fell 175% from −2 to −6 between 30 Sep and 20 Oct. Its high was 9 in 7 Oct.
- 11
- 22
- 33
1 day of 20 had fewer than 3 relevant stories, so that point is thin evidence. Numbered markers are the days with the strongest single headline (key below). This is the tone of coverage, not a share price.Source: MarketFrame news analysis
| day | Tone |
|---|---|
| 30 Sep | −2 |
| 1 Oct | 7 |
| 2 Oct | 3 |
| 3 Oct | 3 |
| 4 Oct | – |
| 5 Oct | 7 |
| 6 Oct | 8 |
| 7 Oct | 9 |
| 8 Oct | 6 |
| 9 Oct | 5 |
| 10 Oct | 5 |
| 11 Oct | −6 |
| 12 Oct | 5 |
| 13 Oct | 5 |
| 14 Oct | 4 |
| 15 Oct | 1 |
| 16 Oct | 6 |
| 17 Oct | 4 |
| 18 Oct | 5 |
| 19 Oct | 5 |
| 20 Oct | −6 |
Day by day
| Day | Tone | Stories | What the coverage was about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 20 October 2026 | −5.5 | 6 | Coverage leaned negative, with reports of staff accusing bosses of covering up blackout risks and engineers doubting the grid's ability to cope with renewables. |
| Monday 19 October 2026 | +4.5 | 5 | Coverage was mostly share price notes, with one headline saying National Grid lifted its outlook. |
| Sunday 18 October 2026 | +4.5 | 3 | Coverage was mostly unrelated stories about other national grids, with only a few items about National Grid itself. |
| Saturday 17 October 2026 | +3.7 | 10 | Coverage was mostly positive, with a raised earnings outlook, a share price gain and grid upgrade and dividend commentary. |
| Friday 16 October 2026 | +6.3 | 13 | Coverage centred on National Grid's further transmission investment proposals to Ofgem, a £2.2bn addition to its re-opener request, a lifted earnings outlook and a rising share price. |
| Thursday 15 October 2026 | +1.2 | 25 | Coverage was dominated by National Grid's winter bill forecasts for US customers, with higher electricity bills offset by slightly lower gas costs. |
| Wednesday 14 October 2026 | +4.2 | 13 | Coverage leaned positive, with an earnings upgrade, a 1.9% share rise, a reaffirmed Buy rating and landscape improvement projects. |
| Tuesday 13 October 2026 | +4.5 | 16 | Coverage was mostly positive, with a raised earnings outlook, early completion of Thames tunnelling and new innovation funding. |
| Monday 12 October 2026 | +4.5 | 10 | Coverage was mostly positive, with earnings seen ahead of guidance as grid spending grows, a recap pointing to higher EPS and steady UK performance, and commentary favouring the dividend. |
| Sunday 11 October 2026 | −6.3 | 2 | Coverage was mainly a book's claim that the Ofgem chair accused National Grid of 'gaming the system', which weighs on its reputation. |
| Saturday 10 October 2026 | +4.5 | 12 | Coverage was mostly positive, led by the Thames tunnel drive finishing ahead of schedule, a higher analyst price target and new innovation funding. |
| Friday 9 October 2026 | +4.5 | 6 | Coverage was mixed: the Great Grid Upgrade is reported ahead of schedule and a SAR 1.3 billion deal was signed. |
| Thursday 8 October 2026 | +5.5 | 23 | Coverage was dominated by the Thames tunnel finishing 49 days early, plus a record investment plan and a Barclays buy rating. |
| Wednesday 7 October 2026 | +9.2 | 5 | Coverage was mainly about an upbeat earnings outlook, with FY27 EPS growth expected slightly above guidance after a strong half-year update. |
| Tuesday 6 October 2026 | +8.0 | 29 | Coverage was dominated by National Grid raising its fiscal 2027 earnings outlook after a strong first half, helped by one-off gains from two portfolio deals and its Ventures business. |
| Monday 5 October 2026 | +7.0 | 5 | Coverage was led by National Grid expecting FY27 earnings per share slightly above its growth guidance. |
| Sunday 4 October 2026 | – | 0 | |
| Saturday 3 October 2026 | +3.0 | 12 | Coverage was mostly about the £600M substation civils framework with 31 suppliers named, plus modest share price gains and investment in voltage capacity. |
| Friday 2 October 2026 | +2.8 | 16 | Coverage was mostly about National Grid's investment in substations and transmission lines, plus a partnership to speed industrial connections in South Wales. |
| Thursday 1 October 2026 | +6.8 | 10 | Coverage was mostly positive, with a US award of $49M and a $32 million investment in the Buffalo area. |
| Wednesday 30 September 2026 | −2.0 | 18 | Coverage was dominated by Andy Burnham's plan for a public GB Grid body, which is framed as a challenge to National Grid and tied to bill and connection worries. |
Sector: Utilities