7/103 sources · 3 publishersUpdated Oct 28, 11:42 UTC
UK shares slip as GSK and Unilever results weigh ahead of budget
UK equities moved lower on Wednesday, October 28, as investors awaited the UK budget and assessed quarterly results from GSK and Unilever. GSK’s third-quarter core earnings per share and revenue exceeded consensus, but its shares fell 4.3%; Unilever declined 3.38% despite raising its volume-growth outlook to at least 3%. The FTSE 100 was down 0.30% in early trading.
Why it matters
The results produced negative share-price reactions despite stronger-than-expected reported metrics, increasing near-term pressure on both companies’ stocks. GSK maintained its 2026 guidance, so the event does not indicate a change to that outlook.
Key facts
- 1GSK reported third-quarter core earnings per share of 54.6 pence versus a 50.4 pence consensus, while revenue was £8.89 billion against expectations of £8.84 billion. investing.com
- 2GSK shares fell 4.3% after the quarterly results. investing.com
- 3Unilever’s underlying sales increased 5.2%, and the company raised its volume-growth forecast to at least 3%. investing.com
- 4GSK maintained its 2026 guidance after reporting third-quarter profit before tax of £1.935B, down from £2.456B a year earlier. rttnews.com
- 5The FTSE 100 was down 0.30% in early trading. investing.com
Open questions
- Reported intraday declines for GSK differ across the materials, ranging from 4.11% to 6%, because the reports were published at different times.
- The FTSE 100 decline is reported as 0.30%, 0.2% and 0.29% at different times during the session.
Summary written by AlphAI AI Desk from 3 of 3 sources. Not investment advice. Figures are as stated by the linked sources.