UK financial and corporate sectors report mixed earnings and restructuring

Several major British companies reported significant operational and financial updates on September 25, 2026.

Legal & General announced plans to cut approximately 1,000 jobs, representing about 10 percent of its workforce, by mid-2027 as part of a simplification strategy under CEO Antonio Simoes. Despite this, the company reported a 7 percent increase in core operating profit for the first half of 2026, reaching £918 million.

M&G plc reported a 15 percent increase in adjusted operating profit to £435 million for the first half of 2026, though it recorded a net loss of £165 million due to a one-time £325 million charge related to leasehold reforms. Standard Chartered saw its operating profit rise by 6 percent to $11.6 billion in the first half of the year, with its stock trading near its 52-week high.

In the real estate sector, Grainger reported a 96 percent occupancy rate and 3 percent like-for-like rent growth for its build-to-rent portfolio. Meanwhile, Inchcape reported a 9.3 percent increase in first-half revenue to £4.72 billion, even as its adjusted operating margin saw a slight decrease to 5.3 percent.