FTSE 100 shares to watch: Lloyds, Barclays, IAG, NatWest, GSK, AstraZeneca

The article previews key FTSE 100 stocks ahead of a busy week of earnings and UK macro data, with UK banks, pharma names, and IAG in focus. Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest, and Standard Chartered are expected to benefit from elevated interest rates and low delinquencies, but investors will be watching for any signs of credit deterioration and for the Bank of England’s next rate decision. Barclays is singled out as the most important bank result because of its exposure to retail banking and investment banking, where M&A, IPO, and debt activity are supportive. British American Tobacco faces pressure after a nearly 10% pullback and 9,000 planned layoffs tied to an AI pivot. AstraZeneca and GSK will report next week, with AstraZeneca balancing recent EU approval for Etcamah against a failed late-stage trial for Wainua. IAG is also under scrutiny as rising jet fuel costs from the US-Iran conflict threaten margins.