Stocks in Britain rallied on Tuesday, with the FTSE 100 snapping a run of losses as investors reacted to remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting the conflict in the Middle East may be near an end. The comments helped depress crude oil prices and lifted risk appetite across markets.
At 13:21 GMT the blue-chip FTSE 100 had climbed 1.5%. The British pound was firmer against the dollar, up 0.2% at 1.3461. Activity in continental Europe mirrored the relief tone, with Germany's DAX up 2.4% and France's CAC 40 rising 1.6%.
Corporate results shape sector moves
A number of UK-listed companies published full-year figures, producing divergent reactions from investors as results and guidance were parsed.
Persimmon PLC reported an underlying profit before tax of 445.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 - beating the upper end of its previously guided range of 415-440 million. The company said early 2026 sales were running ahead of the prior year, and underlying operating margin improved by 20 basis points to 14.3%. Shares in the country's largest housebuilder by market capitalisation jumped more than 10% on the updates.
Genuit Group PLC posted full-year results that topped analysts' expectations, with underlying operating profit of 94.4 million and revenue of 602.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2025. Revenue rose 7.3% year-over-year and 3.2% on a like-for-like basis. Despite the outperformance on profit, revenue fell slightly short of analyst estimates and the stock appreciated 8.7%.
Domino's Pizza Group PLC delivered results largely in line with market forecasts. Revenue reached 685.4 million versus consensus of 685.0 million, while adjusted EBITDA came in at 133.9 million compared with a consensus of 133.4 million. Adjusted earnings per share were 17.6p, matching analyst expectations but down 13.7% from 20.4p a year earlier. Group revenue was up 3.1% from 664.5 million in FY24, with growth attributed to higher corporate store sales offsetting lower volumes in the supply chain. The adjusted EBITDA figure represented a 6.6% decline from 143.4 million the prior year.
Rotork PLC's full-year 2025 results met market expectations on the headline numbers, but the stock fell sharply after 2026 guidance signalled subdued growth in key oil and gas markets. The flow control specialist reported revenue of 777.3 million for 2025, up 3.0% year-over-year and 3.7% on an organic constant currency basis, slightly below analyst expectations of 787 million. Adjusted operating profit rose 7.3% to 191.5 million, with margins expanding 100 basis points to 24.6%, ahead of the 24.1% consensus. Adjusted earnings per share were 17.0p, in line with analysts' forecasts.
Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC reported adjusted operating profit of 339.9 million for 2025, exceeding the consensus estimate of 332 million. The company generated revenue of 1,702.9 million, a 5% organic increase that the company noted outpaced global industrial production growth of 2.1%. Adjusted operating profit rose 6% on an organic basis, while the adjusted operating margin improved 30 basis points organically to 20.0%.
Capita PLC's shares dropped 13.5% despite full-year results that beat expectations, after management provided weaker-than-anticipated guidance for 2026. The decline was linked to ongoing losses in its Contact Centre business and higher mobilisation costs. For 2025 the UK business process outsourcing firm reported adjusted revenue of 2.2 billion, down 1.2% year-over-year and below the prior year's 2.23 billion. Adjusted operating profit rose sharply by 34% to 113.5 million, ahead of forecasts, supported by completion of a 250 million cost reduction programme.
Sabre Insurance Group PLC delivered a full-year profit after tax of 37.9 million for 2025, beating analyst expectations by 3.9% as underwriting margins improved and the company returned to premium growth. Profit before tax rose 4.9% to 51.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, while gross written premium decreased 14.2% to 202.9 million. The net insurance margin improved to 19.2%, up 1.6 percentage points from 17.6% in 2024 and lying within the company's target range of 18% to 22%. Revenue declined from 248.1 million in 2024.
Regulatory update in water sector
An independent group appointed by the Competition and Markets Authority has finalised its decision on disputed price controls for five water companies, clearing the way for an expected average bill increase of 2.2% for customers of those firms. The redetermination covers Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South East Water, Southern Water and Wessex Water - utilities that together serve roughly 14 million people and report around 5 billion in combined annual revenue. The companies had rejected the water regulator Ofwat's December 2024 price control decision and sought a redetermination.
Market participants will be watching how the mix of company-level performance and shifting macro headlines sustains sentiment in UK equities, particularly across cyclical sectors such as construction and industrials, utilities exposed to regulatory decisions, and services names where guidance remains a focus.