FTSE 100 news tone stayed positive all week but faded from Tuesday to Monday

The average daily score on the MarketFrame scale of −10 to +10 started at +3.6 on Tuesday, across 81 companies with coverage. It dipped to +2.5 on Wednesday, recovered to +3.5 on Thursday and held at +3.4 on Friday, when 91 companies had coverage, the most of any day. Saturday came in at +2.8 with 70 companies, Sunday at +2.1 with 44, and Monday at +1.9 with 53. The thinner weekend numbers are mostly down to fewer companies being covered at all.

M&G topped the list with an average of +8.7 over 7 relevant stories. Friday's coverage of its third-quarter update scored +10.0, built around £1.8bn of net inflows and annuity sales running ahead of £2.

Metlen Energy & Metals averaged +8.1 over 35 stories. Saturday's trading update, with record nine-month revenue, scored +10.0. Analysts at JPMorgan and Citi said its growth drivers remain on track, and a gallium deal and listing options for METKA were also noted. Its first day scored +7.0 and its last +5.0.

Next plc averaged +7.9 over 10 stories. Friday's third-quarter trading statement scored +7.0, with sales up and a stronger full-price sales forecast driven by international growth. The tone was held back a little by a UK slowdown and unchanged profit guidance.

Hiscox averaged +7.5 over 39 stories, with Friday at +9.2 on a 10% rise in written premiums, which reads as healthy growth. RELX averaged +7.3 over 27 stories. Monday's +9.7 centred on its Elsevier division, where scientific, technical and medical publishing growth is picking up and AI adoption is increasing.

Haleon averaged −5.1 over 27 stories. Tuesday scored −9.7 after it lowered its guidance following a weak cold and flu season and a China setback, which sent the shares sharply lower. A broker downgrade added to the tone, only partly offset by a director share purchase and a Goldman Sachs conviction list addition.

Smith & Nephew averaged −2.7 over 33 stories. Thursday's −8.3 reflected lower 2026 guidance on weak US orthopaedics and wound care sales, plus the end of talks with Johnson & Johnson's orthopaedics unit. The company is still reviewing options for its orthopaedics business.

Barratt Redrow averaged −2.6 over 49 stories. Thursday's trading update scored −5.0, with completions down 12% and softer private reservations because of affordability pressures. The company kept its full-year guidance and spoke of resilience and a growing forward order book.

Glencore averaged −1.5 over 34 stories. Saturday's −2.8 came mainly from an Indonesian bribery investigation involving miners linked to a former Glencore trader, only partly offset by a supplier development event and routine notices of the upcoming investor update. NatWest Group averaged −1.2 over 63 stories. Tuesday's −3.7 followed third-quarter results with a revenue shortfall and disappointing margin guidance, which prompted cautious broker notes and some forecast cuts. Strong wealth management income growth and a maintained outlook offered some offset.

National Grid plc fell from +8.7 on Tuesday to −0.8 on Monday. Tuesday's coverage was dominated by the purchase of Teesside land for a very large substation serving data centre plans, and government consent for the Sea Link cable. By Monday it was mixed: results, guidance and a new stake investment were received well, while reports of a near-£50bn debt pile pushing up bills and a call on gas plants over a shortfall weighed on tone.

Barclays moved the other way, from −3.0 to +3.7. Tuesday's coverage was dominated by the bank starting to pay motor finance compensation, alongside reports of job cuts linked to AI and weakness in UK bank shares. Monday's mostly concerned its Riyadh office launch, intended to support expansion in Saudi Arabia, though some reports mentioned regional attacks as context.

Half-year results were the most common theme, with 15 company-days. Analyst ratings and share buybacks followed with 8 each, then executive departures and third-quarter results with 6 each. Dividend appeal came up on 5 company-days, upcoming results on 4, and Christmas adverts on 4.