FTSE 100 round-up: Informa, UK banks, Halma, Tesco
As oil’s return to $100 a barrel weighs on the FTSE 100 index, City writer Graeme Evans reports on the latest blue-chip sell-off.
12th March 2026 15:42
by Graeme Evans from interactive investor
The compounding growth outlook of Informa (LSE:INF) failed to ease the pressure on its shares today as the Iran conflict and oil’s return to $100 a barrel weighed on the FTSE 100 index.
Banking stocks bore the brunt of today’s latest blue-chip sell-off as elevated energy prices and ongoing Middle East supply disruption added to the market’s stagflation worries.
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Barclays (LSE:BARC) fell 21.8p to leave shares down 14% since the conflict began at 388.45p, while Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY) dropped another 3.1p to 95.2p and NatWest Group (LSE:NWG) eased 19.4p to 568.6p.
The FTSE 100 index reached mid-afternoon 79.95 points lower at 10,273.82 as the vow by Iran’s new supreme leader to keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz caused Brent crude to trade at $100 a barrel, up 9% in another volatile session.
Wall Street markets were also sharply lower, with the S&P 500 index down by more than 1% to trade at its lowest level since November.
The potential for interest rates to stay higher for longer meant housebuilders Persimmon (LSE:PSN) and Barratt Redrow (LSE:BTRW) featured on the FTSE 100 fallers board, alongside LondonMetric Property (LSE:LMP) and Tritax Big Box Ord (LSE:BBOX).
The weak sentiment also clouded the market reaction to the guidance of corporate events specialist Informa, which hosts Cannes Lions for the marketing industry and World of Concrete in construction.
Informa declared in annual results that it was fully committed to its 2026 targets, despite the disruption that has caused the rescheduling of some of its Middle East business events.
The group continues to forecast higher underlying revenue growth of about 6%, rising to 7% for its biggest division of business-to-business (B2B) live events.
Shares fell as far as 758.8p before settling 2p lower at 777p, representing a fall of more than 7% as one of the worst-performing FTSE 100 stocks since the start of the Iran conflict.
The pressure has come just over a month after Informa combined its B2B Live Events business in India, the Middle East and Africa with the operations of the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Over the last decade, Informa has built a leading position in B2B Live Events through more than 800 specialist brands serving over 30 growth market categories in all major regions. Informa’s operations also include the Taylor & Francis academic markets business.
Bank of America said today’s 11% growth in earnings per share to 55.6p was in line with expectations and that £885 million of cash generation was 3% ahead of its forecast.
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While unlikely to fully resolve uncertainty, the bank said the fact that Informa has postponed and/or secured back-up dates for affected Middle Eastern events had helped to de-risk the near-term outlook.
It notes that the recent sell-off has left Informa on an enterprise value multiple of 10 times forecast 2026 earnings, which is below its three-year average.
The bank, which has a Buy recommendation with a price target of 1,070p, argues that the company’s stronger growth profile is not adequately priced in.
On the FTSE 100 risers board, Halma (LSE:HLMA) shares rose 14p to 3922p after the group of life-saving technology companies said it was on track for a 23rd consecutive year of record adjusted profit.
The brief year-end update ahead of annual results on 11 June highlighted broad-based growth across the group, despite varied conditions in end markets and an increasingly uncertain economic and geopolitical environment.
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UBS, which has a price target of 4,200p, said: “We believe Halma remains appealing due to its well diversified business mix, which provides a high level of defensive growth during uncertain times.”
Other defensive stocks in demand in the FTSE 100 included Tesco (LSE:TSCO) following a rise of 11.4p to 480.1p and consumer healthcare business Haleon (LSE:HLN), up 8.9p to 375.2p.
Rentokil Initial (LSE:RTO) led the FTSE 100, surging by 19.4p to 486.7p after UBS upgraded the pest control firm to a Buy recommendation with a 540p target price.
The bank said: “We have been broadly cautious on Rentokil since its 2022 Terminix acquisition, but last year’s strategy reshaping means we now see realistic potential for volumes to inflect in 2026 - ending about three years of share losses.”
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