Consumer Defensive

Companies involved in the manufacture of food and beverages, household and personal care products, packaging and tobacco. The sector also includes firms providing education and training services. UK‑listed companies in this sector include Unilever plc, Diageo plc, Associated British Foods plc, Imperial Brands plc, Smurfit Kappa plc and Pearson plc.

Gateley advises Likewise Group on £14.9m acquisition of flooring assets

Likewise Group has acquired flooring assets from Headlam and HFD for £14.9 million, adding distribution capacity, brands and around 110 transferring employees...

October 27, 2026

ICG Enterprise Trust: 16% Earnings Growth, 24 Exits and the AI Opportunity Behind Its Defensive Strategy (video)

ICG Enterprise Trust delivers 16% EBITDA growth and 24 exits. Hardman & Co's Mark Thomas examines valuations, AI opportunities and the outlook for realisations...

October 27, 2026

Reckitt raises full-year sales growth guidance after 3.3% Q3 core revenue growth

Reckitt reported 3.3% like-for-like net revenue growth for Core Reckitt in Q3 2026, with Emerging Markets up 8.0% and Europe returning to growth. The company lowered its full-year outlook range..

October 27, 2026

Genuit Group forecasts £84m operating profit amid challenging markets

Genuit Group reported nine-month revenue of £464.5m, up 3.5% year-on-year on a reported basis, supported by resilience in its Water Division and strong cash conversion above 90%...

October 20, 2026

Bunzl reports 3.7% underlying revenue growth, reiterates full-year outlook

Bunzl delivered 3.7% underlying revenue growth in the third quarter, supported by volume growth in North America and effective management of inflation...

October 20, 2026

Likewise Group expands flooring range with LeoLine distribution agreement

Likewise Group has added seven LeoLine sheet vinyl collections to its UK depot network, expanding product choice for retailers and contractors while providing the manufacturer with wider distribution and improved..

October 19, 2026

Likewise raises profit expectations following strong trading and Headlam acquisition

Likewise Group expects full-year underlying profit before tax of at least £5m after strong sales growth, while its £14.9m Headlam asset acquisition expands distribution capacity ahead of an expected earnings..

October 14, 2026

Likewise Group Makes Transformational Acquisition to Accelerate £300m Revenue Ambitions, Says Zeus

Likewise Group accelerates its £300m revenue ambitions following a major Headlam asset acquisition, with Zeus highlighting growth opportunities...

October 9, 2026

Imperial Brands on track for FY26 guidance as £1.5bn share buyback announced

Imperial Brands expects to deliver FY26 guidance across all key metrics, including adjusted operating profit growth of 3% to 5%, high-single-digit EPS growth and more than £2.2bn of free cash..

October 8, 2026

Likewise Group acquires Headlam assets for £14.9m

Likewise Group has acquired Headlam's Thatcham distribution centre, Crucial Trading and Concept Floors for £14.9 million, strengthening its UK distribution network and supporting its £300 million medium-term revenue target...

October 7, 2026

Understanding CSCS cards and construction qualifications

Understanding the CSCS card system helps construction workers identify the qualifications, training and assessments needed to access site work and progress within the industry...

October 5, 2026

Likewise raises revenue target to £300m after strong first half

Likewise Group has raised its longer-term revenue target to £300 million after first-half revenue increased 15.4% and underlying profit before tax rose 79.5%, with further logistics investment supporting its expansion..

October 5, 2026

J D Wetherspoon reports 5.2% revenue growth as like-for-like sales improve

J D Wetherspoon plc (LSE:JDW) reported a 5.2% increase in annual revenue to £2.24bn for the 52 weeks ended 26 July 2026, with like-for-like sales up 4.2%. Profit before tax..

October 2, 2026

Likewise Group reports 15.4% H1 revenue growth and raises FY2026 outlook

Likewise Group’s H1 2026 revenue rose 15.4% to £89.9m, while underlying profit before tax increased 79.5% to £1.32m. Strong Q3 trading has prompted the group to expect FY2026 underlying PBT..

September 28, 2026

Diageo appoints WPP’s Joanne Wilson as Chief Financial Officer

Joanne Wilson will join Diageo as CFO, Board member and Executive Committee member in 2027, succeeding Nik Jhangiani as the drinks group continues its transformation strategy...

September 23, 2026

Warpaint highlights stronger margins, cash generation and improving Q3 trading

September 23, 2026

UK manufacturing output rises in July as industrial activity improves

UK manufacturing output rose 0.9% in July, beating expectations, while broader industrial production also returned to growth...

September 22, 2026

Likewise Group to announce Interim Results on 28 September

Likewise Group plc will release its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2026 on 28 September 2026...

September 17, 2026

Likewise Floors expands digital ordering and account access

Likewise Floors is expanding its digital ordering platform to give customers faster access to stock, pricing, payments and account management...

September 14, 2026

Trainline reaffirms FY2027 guidance and launches £100m share buyback

Trainline reported flat H1 net ticket sales of £3.3bn and a 1% decline in underlying revenue to £233m, while maintaining FY2027 guidance and announcing a new £100m share buyback...

September 11, 2026

News and Interview Alerts

Company Presentations

City Natural Resources Growth and Income PLC

City Natural Resources Chairman Christopher Casey outlines Tufton’s investment strategy

Chesnara plc Presentation — 6% Dividend Uplift, £1bn of Added Lifetime Cash and the Next M&A Moves

Biotech Growth Trust: The biotech rebound powered by innovation, valuations and pharma’s patent cliff

CMC Markets FY26 Presentation: The Platform Is Built, The Partnerships Are In Place, Now We Scale

Q&As

accesso CEO Lee Cowie on AI, payments and near-doubling of multi-product opportunities

23 October 2026

Meridian Holdings CFO William Scott on profitability, debt reduction and growth priorities

23 October 2026

Physitrack CEO Henrik Molin outlines EMR Launch, AI strategy and 2027 growth plans

21 October 2026

Genflow Biosciences CEO Dr Eric Leire discusses SIRT6 gene therapy results in aged dogs

15 October 2026

Oriole Resources’ Martin Rosser outlines Wapouzé development plans (LON:ORR)

14 October 2026

Hardman & Co

ICG Enterprise Trust: Investor questions answered and 1HFY’27 results

14 October 2026

Neuberger Private Equity Partners Limited 1H’26 results: Foot on the accelerator

8 October 2026

Chesnara Plc: Acquisitions show immediate benefits

2 September 2026

Arbuthnot Banking Group Plc 1H’26: accelerating franchise growth

4 August 2026

Real Estate Credit Investments maintains dividend as credit remains resilient

3 August 2026

Green News

Ferro-Alloy Resources appoints Peter Secker as CEO

26 October 2026

Ilika launches ORKA brand for deep-sea battery systems

22 October 2026

Drax Group Shares Offer Significant Valuation Upside as Data Centre Opportunity Remains Intact, Says Longspur Research

13 October 2026

Ampeak Energy Director Buys 500,000 shares in market purchase

6 October 2026

View all Sustainable sectors, Plcs and news >>

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Latest Interviews

ICG Enterprise Trust: 16% Earnings Growth, 24 Exits and the AI Opportunity Behind Its Defensive Strategy (video)

Ilika plc: ORKA Launch Opens New Commercial Opportunities for Goliath in Marine and Defence Markets (video)

Neuberger Private Equity Partners: 12% Earnings Growth, Accelerating Exits and a Potential Catalyst to Close the Discount (video)

accesso Technology Group: AI, Payments and a Near-Doubling of Multi-Product Opportunities (video)

Meridian Holdings Profits Rise, Debt Falls 65% and the Focus Shifts to Sustained Growth (video)

Genflow Biosciences: SLAB-VET Results Put SIRT6 Partnering and Human Therapies in Focus (video)

BrokerTalk

JPMorgan European Discovery Trust Builds on Strong Performance and European Small-Cap Opportunities, Edison Investment Research

21 October 2026

Drax Group Shares Offer Significant Valuation Upside as Data Centre Opportunity Remains Intact, Says Longspur Research

13 October 2026

Likewise Group Makes Transformational Acquisition to Accelerate £300m Revenue Ambitions, Says Zeus

9 October 2026

Norcros Shares Offer 29% Upside as Business Transformation Gathers Pace, Says Cavendish

9 October 2026

Meren Energy: Arctic Securities Raises Price Target as Growth Opportunities Come Into Focus

8 October 2026

Funds

Real Estate Credit Investments reports 10.5% dividend yield and £5m Spanish loan commitment

28 October 2026

City Natural Resources Growth and Income reports 76.6% annual NAV return

28 October 2026

Volta Finance generates €38m in interest income with 1.8x dividend cover

22 October 2026

Geiger Counter highlights strong uranium market fundamentals and growing nuclear demand

21 October 2026

City Natural Resources Chairman Christopher Casey outlines Tufton’s investment strategy

21 October 2026

View all Funds, Market Insights and news >>

FTSE 100 News

Unilever Q3 sales grow 5.2% as FY volume growth forecast improves

28 October 2026

Intertek Q3 revenue rises 7% as company maintains 2026 forecast

28 October 2026

GSK reports 5% Q3 sales growth and reaffirms 2026 guidance

28 October 2026

HSBC reports 32% rise in third-quarter pre-tax profit to $9.6 billion

27 October 2026

UK Broker Ratings

Cranswick PLC (CWK.L) Stock Analysis: Evaluating a 20.73% Upside Potential in Packaged Foods

28 October 2026

Coats Group PLC (COA.L) Stock Analysis: Strong Buy Ratings and 45% Potential Upside

28 October 2026

Bellway PLC (BWY.L): An Investor’s Insight into Growth Potential with a 21% Revenue Surge

28 October 2026

Chemring Group PLC (CHG.L) Investor Outlook: Exploring a 14.74% Potential Upside in the Aerospace & Defense Sector

28 October 2026

Close Brothers Group PLC (CBG.L): Analyst Ratings Signal a 34.63% Potential Upside

28 October 2026

Consumer Defensive

Gateley advises Likewise Group on £14.9m acquisition of flooring assets

Likewise Group has acquired flooring assets from Headlam and HFD for £14.9 million, adding distribution capacity, brands and around 110 transferring employees...

October 27, 2026

ICG Enterprise Trust: 16% Earnings Growth, 24 Exits and the AI Opportunity Behind Its Defensive Strategy (video)

ICG Enterprise Trust delivers 16% EBITDA growth and 24 exits. Hardman & Co's Mark Thomas examines valuations, AI opportunities and the outlook for realisations...

October 27, 2026

Reckitt raises full-year sales growth guidance after 3.3% Q3 core revenue growth

Reckitt reported 3.3% like-for-like net revenue growth for Core Reckitt in Q3 2026, with Emerging Markets up 8.0% and Europe returning to growth. The company lowered its full-year outlook range to 3.5% to 4.5% growth, reflecting manufacturing constraints affecting Lysol and slower growth in China’s vitamins, minerals and supplements category...

October 27, 2026

Genuit Group forecasts £84m operating profit amid challenging markets

Genuit Group reported nine-month revenue of £464.5m, up 3.5% year-on-year on a reported basis, supported by resilience in its Water Division and strong cash conversion above 90%...

October 20, 2026

Bunzl reports 3.7% underlying revenue growth, reiterates full-year outlook

Bunzl delivered 3.7% underlying revenue growth in the third quarter, supported by volume growth in North America and effective management of inflation...

October 20, 2026

Likewise Group expands flooring range with LeoLine distribution agreement

October 19, 2026

Likewise raises profit expectations following strong trading and Headlam acquisition

October 14, 2026

Likewise Group Makes Transformational Acquisition to Accelerate £300m Revenue Ambitions, Says Zeus

Likewise Group accelerates its £300m revenue ambitions following a major Headlam asset acquisition, with Zeus highlighting growth opportunities...

October 9, 2026

Imperial Brands on track for FY26 guidance as £1.5bn share buyback announced

Imperial Brands expects to deliver FY26 guidance across all key metrics, including adjusted operating profit growth of 3% to 5%, high-single-digit EPS growth and more than £2.2bn of free cash flow. The group has completed its £1.45bn FY26 share buyback and announced a further £1.5bn programme for FY27...

October 8, 2026

Likewise Group acquires Headlam assets for £14.9m

October 7, 2026

Understanding CSCS cards and construction qualifications

Understanding the CSCS card system helps construction workers identify the qualifications, training and assessments needed to access site work and progress within the industry...

October 5, 2026

Likewise raises revenue target to £300m after strong first half

October 5, 2026

J D Wetherspoon reports 5.2% revenue growth as like-for-like sales improve

J D Wetherspoon plc (LSE:JDW) reported a 5.2% increase in annual revenue to £2.24bn for the 52 weeks ended 26 July 2026, with like-for-like sales up 4.2%. Profit before tax before separately disclosed items fell 28% to £58.6m, while like-for-like sales rose 8.6% in the first nine weeks of the new financial year..

October 2, 2026

Likewise Group reports 15.4% H1 revenue growth and raises FY2026 outlook

Likewise Group’s H1 2026 revenue rose 15.4% to £89.9m, while underlying profit before tax increased 79.5% to £1.32m. Strong Q3 trading has prompted the group to expect FY2026 underlying PBT of at least £5m, materially ahead of market expectations...

September 28, 2026

Diageo appoints WPP’s Joanne Wilson as Chief Financial Officer

Joanne Wilson will join Diageo as CFO, Board member and Executive Committee member in 2027, succeeding Nik Jhangiani as the drinks group continues its transformation strategy...

September 23, 2026

Warpaint highlights stronger margins, cash generation and improving Q3 trading

Warpaint London reported continued margin improvement and strong cash generation in H1 2026, alongside progress with major retail partners and the successful integration of Barry M. Q3 sales are expected to return to growth, with increased Christmas activity and further retail expansion supporting a more heavily weighted second half...

September 23, 2026

UK manufacturing output rises in July as industrial activity improves

UK manufacturing output rose 0.9% in July, beating expectations, while broader industrial production also returned to growth...

September 22, 2026

Likewise Group to announce Interim Results on 28 September

Likewise Group plc will release its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2026 on 28 September 2026...

September 17, 2026

Likewise Floors expands digital ordering and account access

Likewise Floors is expanding its digital ordering platform to give customers faster access to stock, pricing, payments and account management...

September 14, 2026

Trainline reaffirms FY2027 guidance and launches £100m share buyback

Trainline reported flat H1 net ticket sales of £3.3bn and a 1% decline in underlying revenue to £233m, while maintaining FY2027 guidance and announcing a new £100m share buyback...