British shares opened Monday with a modest gain while the pound slipped against the dollar, as investors digested corporate results and geopolitical headlines.
As of 0803 GMT, the FTSE 100 was up 0.3%. The British pound was down 0.02% versus the dollar, trading at 1.3616. Major continental peers were mixed at the same time, with Germany's DAX essentially flat and France's CAC 40 down about 0.3%.
Corporate highlight - NatWest
NatWest Group PLC (LON:NWG) posted a 24% increase in annual profit for 2025, delivering a pretax operating profit of 7.7 billion. That figure rose from 6.2 billion the previous year and beat the 7.5 billion consensus forecast that the bank itself compiled. Alongside the results, NatWest updated its medium-term targets, raising its return on tangible equity (RoTE) objective to more than 18% by 2028 - up from a prior target of more than 15% by 2027.
In its earnings statement, Chief Executive Paul Thwaite said: "We are raising our ambition and sharpening our strategic focus, with stretching new targets in place."
Political and geopolitical developments
Political news from the UK included plans by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to present a joint defence-procurement proposal to Western allies at the Munich Security Conference this weekend, according to the Financial Times. The proposal is intended to curb rearmament costs through coordinated weapons purchasing, and Starmer is scheduled to press for deeper defence co-operation both in a Saturday speech and in private meetings during the three-day conference.
Separately, the UK and partner nations have pledged up to $35 billion in new military aid to Ukraine to bolster the country's air defences after large-scale Russian strikes on energy infrastructure and civilian targets. UK Defence Secretary John Healey announced the commitments following a coordination meeting in Brussels on Thursday. Speaking at a news conference alongside Ukrainian and German counterparts and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Healey said: "We can save lives, we can pressure Putin and we can agree peace, but only if we step up together."
Research tools and stock idea services
For investors asking whether to buy NWG now, the article describes a service called ProPicks AI that evaluates NatWest alongside thousands of other companies each month using more than 100 financial metrics. The description says the system assesses fundamentals, momentum and valuation without bias and highlights that past winners from its selections include Super Micro Computer (+185%) and AppLovin (+157%). The text invites readers to check whether NWG appears in any ProPicks AI strategies or if alternative opportunities exist within the same sector.
Market participants should weigh the bank's stronger results and raised targets against the broader backdrop of mixed European markets and ongoing geopolitical developments.