Babcock International Names Nuclear Chief Harry Holt as Successor to Retiring CEO David Lockwood

Babcock International ( (GB:BAB) ) has provided an announcement.

Babcock International Group has announced that Group Chief Executive David Lockwood will retire by the end of 2026, with Harry Holt, currently CEO of the company’s Nuclear sector, appointed as his successor following an internal and external search. Holt will become Deputy CEO and join the board in June to oversee a managed transition before taking over as Group Chief Executive, while Lockwood, credited with leading a strategic and financial turnaround, will continue to support the business thereafter. The board highlighted Holt’s strong track record in significantly growing the Nuclear sector’s revenues and margins and his prior senior experience at Rolls-Royce and across the wider defence and nuclear industries, framing the succession as continuity of the company’s current growth strategy and culture. Remuneration details confirm Lockwood’s status as a “good leaver”, with continued eligibility for certain bonuses and share awards in line with company policy, underscoring an orderly leadership change aimed at maintaining investor confidence and sustaining Babcock’s momentum as a leading global defence business.

The most recent analyst rating on (GB:BAB) stock is a Hold with a £1589.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Babcock International stock, see the GB:BAB Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on GB:BAB Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, GB:BAB is a Neutral.

The score is supported primarily by improving financial performance and a strong, confidence-boosting earnings call with reaffirmed margin targets and solid cash conversion. Technicals indicate an established uptrend but are heavily overbought, raising near-term risk. Valuation is the main drag due to a higher P/E and low dividend yield.

To see Spark’s full report on GB:BAB stock, click here.

More about Babcock International

Babcock International Group is a UK-based defence engineering company focused on delivering complex, mission-critical services and infrastructure across defence and civil nuclear markets. The Group’s operations span major nuclear, aerospace, security and defence programmes, positioning it as a key contractor to government and strategic customers worldwide, with a particular emphasis on high-performance engineering, long-term programmes and specialist infrastructure.

Average Trading Volume: 1,919,188

Technical Sentiment Signal: Buy

Current Market Cap: £7.39B

See more data about BAB stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.