The FTSE 100 Index continued its rally this week and was hovering near its all-time high as market participants reacted to the key earnings by some American companies and Lloyds Bank.
It was trading at £10,170, a few points below the all-time high of £10,240. This article explores some of the top Footsie companies to watch next week.
BT Group (BT.A) and Vodafone (VOD) to release earnings
British telecom stocks like BT Group and Vodafone will be in the spotlight as they publish their trading statements on Thursday next week.
These earnings come as the two giants continued to diverge. BT Group stock has retreated by over 12% from its highest level in 2025, while Vodafone has jumped by over 60% in the last 12 months. Vodafone is trading at its highest level since 2018.
BT Group stock has underperformed the market because of its struggling business-focused segment, whose revenue has continued falling. Also, the company’s broadband business continues to lose thousands of customers a month.
Vodafone, on the other hand, is doing relatively well now that its German business has returned to growth and its UK business is improving following the Three acquisition.
Shell (SHEL)
Shell is another top FTSE 100 company to watch next week as it released its financial results. These results come as the stock is hovering near its all-time high. It has jumped by nearly 10% from its lowest level this month.
Shell and other energy companies are benefiting from the ongoing crude oil price rally because of rising tensions in the Middle East now that Trump has sent a large armada to the region and Iran has warned of a prolonged fight.
The most recent results showed that Shell announced a new $3.5 billion share buyback program as its adjusted earnings rose to $5.4 billion and its capital expenditure dropped to $4.9 billion. Its net debt dropped to $41.2 billion during the quarter.
Entain (ENT)
Entain, the parent company of Ladbrokes, Coral, BetMGM, Bwin, and Eurobet will be another top FTSE 100 Index company to watch next week as it releases its results.
These numbers come at a time when the stock has crashed to 620p, its lowest level since May 1 last year and 40% below its all-time high. Other similar stocks have also plunged, with Flutter Entertainment moving to $168 in New York, down from $313 in August last year.
DraftKings stock price has crashed to $29 from last year’s high of $53.47, while Sportradar has slipped to $18.48 from a high of $32.2 in August.
The most recent results showed that Entain’s Net Gaming Revenue (NGR) rose by 6% in the third quarter, with the full year revenue expected to grow by 7%.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
GSK is another top FTSE 100 stock to watch next week. It has jumped by 53% from its lowest level in 2024 and its business continues to do well.
The company recently issued its pre-announcement earlier this year, meaning that the final numbers will not have a major impact on the stock.
Its results showed that its turnover will be an increase of between 6% and 7%, while its core operating profit will be between 9% and 11%.
The announcement came after the company reached a deal with the Trump administration to lower drug prices and plans to invest $30 billion in R&D in the US.
Some of the other top FTSE 100 shares to watch next week will be Unilever, Beazley, DCC, and Compass Group.
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