Rolls-Royce Launches £1.5 Billion Buyback and Reaffirms 2026 Profit Guidance of £4.7 Billion to £4.9 Billion

Rolls-Royce has announced a new £1.5 billion share buyback programme, accelerating returns to shareholders as growing demand for its engines drives a strong order intake. The buyback, which runs through to February, is an interim tranche within a broader multi-year programme worth up to around £12 billion spanning 2026 to 2028.

Alongside the buyback, Rolls-Royce reaffirmed its full-year 2026 guidance, targeting underlying operating profit of £4.7 billion to £4.9 billion and free cash flow of £3.8 billion to £4.0 billion. Those targets were raised at the company's first-half results, up from initial guidance of £4.0 billion to £4.2 billion operating profit, after group operating profit rose 46% year-on-year to £2.5 billion in the first half. The reaffirmation signals management confidence that the second half remains on track despite broader macroeconomic uncertainty.