By bizn_fun 
Key events
Introduction: British Gas owner pauses buyback as profits plunge 39%
Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy.
Tough news for British Gas owner Centrica this morning, which announced it is putting share buyback plans ice after suffering a 39% drop for full-year 2025.
Centrica said adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation fell to £1.4bn for the year, down from £2.3bn a year earlier. However, that was ahead of average analyst forecasts for £1.3bn.
Centrica CEO Chris O’Shea conceded it had been a “challenging” year for the business:
2025 has been a year of real momentum and we have made bold investments as we continue the fundamental transformation of Centrica.
The environment has been challenging, and performance has varied across the business.
However, we have remained disciplined, delivering strong operational performance and achieving customer growth across all our Retail businesses simultaneously for the first time in over a decade.
He tried to assure investors that putting the share buyback programme on pause would result in better for shareholders in the long-run:
With major projects like Sizewell C, Grain LNG and our Meter Asset Provider laying the groundwork for more stable and predictable earnings, our long-term opportunities have never been better.
Pausing the buyback enables us to prioritise investment that creates lasting value for shareholders, while continuing to deliver the reliable, affordable energy that households and businesses need to power economic growth through the transition.
Meanwhile, ongoing concerns over AI’s impact on the job market has pushed younger generations to blue collar-work, according to new data from Employment Hero.
PA is reporting on the figures, which show younger workers are driving jobs growth within the construction and trade industry, amid rising youth unemployment and the looming threat of AI.
The HR platform’s report also showed that hiring of Gen Z workers significantly outpaced other generations last month.
Employment for the age group – incorporating those born between 1997 and 2012 – increased by 16.8% in January, compared with the same month last year.
The Agenda
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11am GMT: CBI Industrial Trends Orders
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1.30pm GMT: US International Trade in Goods and Services, December and Annual 2025