Utilities: sector news on Saturday 31 October 2026
Average tone +2.1 (slightly positive) across 6 companies with relevant coverage, from 44 stories.
How to read a score. Each score rates how good or bad the news was for the company, from −10 (clearly bad) to +10 (clearly good). 0 is neutral, and anything beyond ±6 is strong and rare. It rates the coverage, not the share price.
Company by company
| Company | Tone | Stories | What the coverage was about |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Grid | +7.5 | 31 | Most coverage focused on ministers approving National Grid's Sea Link, a subsea cable that will connect Suffolk with Kent, with some concerns noted over wildlife and local impact. |
| United Utilities | −5.0 | 5 | Coverage leans negative, mainly because of sector-wide stories on regulator findings of environmental and supply failures and short sellers targeting UK water firms. |
| Metlen Energy & Metals | +2.7 | 3 | Coverage centred on Metlen's repayment of EUR500 million of senior notes, reported by several outlets. |
| SSE | +7.0 | 3 | Coverage centred on SSE's Coire Glas pumped hydro project, with the company and trade press highlighting the jobs and spending it could bring. |
| Centrica | +0.3 | 1 | Coverage was thin, with only a routine share price quote relevant to Centrica. |
| Severn Trent | 0.0 | 1 |
Strongest stories in the sector
- +10.0 Company announces key consent milestone for major project.
- +9.2 Ministerial consent granted for its major cable project.
- +9.2 Government approval of its cable scheme.
- +9.2 Development consent granted for its subsea project.
- +9.2 Government consent for 2GW connection.
- +9.2 Offshore connection receives UK approval.
- +9.2 Permission granted for its undersea link.
- +9.2 Government backing for its power line.
- +9.2 Regional report of consent for electricity project.
- +8.3 SSE promotes economic and jobs benefits of its Coire Glas storage scheme.
- +7.5 Approval of large local project, some local opposition likely.
- +7.5 Approval of contested cable, a win despite controversy.
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