GSK shares slipped 0.5% to 2,015 pence in London Tuesday after the company disclosed buying 628,000 shares on March 16 under its £2 billion buyback plan. Total repurchases since February 17 reached
RELX shares rose 0.9% Monday after LexisNexis said Willkie Farr & Gallagher would use its Protégé AI platform firmwide. The move follows weeks of volatility for legal-tech stocks after Anthropic’s legal plug-in rattled the sector. RELX reported 9% legal revenue growth in 2025 and expects further gains. Analysts warn AI advances still pose risks to RELX and rivals.
National Grid shares rose 0.5% to 1,362.75p in London on Tuesday, recovering part of Monday’s 1.27% drop after UBS cut its rating to Sell and raised its target price to 1,160p. The company’s shares remain up 19.5% this year after unveiling a £70 billion investment plan, but face regulatory risks and a £20 million payment over historic failures at the Harker substation.
HSBC’s New York shares rose 1.3% to $81.38 after reports the bank is seeking at least $1 billion in AT1 dollar debt. HSBC has about $23 billion in Middle East lending exposure, the highest among major European banks. The stock had fallen 14% since Feb. 28 before Tuesday’s rebound. HSBC reported 2025 pretax profit of $29.9 billion, beating analyst estimates.
Imperial Brands shares fell 0.4% to 3,240 pence after Spring Mountain Investments cut its stake below 5%, according to a UK filing. The company repurchased nearly 391,000 shares last week as part of a £1.45 billion buyback. Imperial’s final dividend is due March 31, with a trading update set for April 14. The FTSE 100 rose 0.6% as energy and bank stocks gained.
Glencore shares rose to 527.3p in London after reports it tapped cobalt stocks from China’s Wuxi exchange to meet supply commitments amid Congo export curbs. Cobalt prices have surged 160% since February 2025. Glencore plans to export 22,800 tons of cobalt from Congo this year, down from 33,500 tons in 2025. Talks with Rio Tinto remain on hold for six months under UK takeover rules.
BP shares climbed over 1% in London as Brent crude topped $100 a barrel after renewed Iranian attacks on the UAE disrupted oil flows. BP paused its $750 million buyback last month to focus on debt and oil investments, leaving it more exposed to price swings. BP’s Angola joint venture began gas production at the Quiluma field. Brent crude fell sharply Monday after some ships passed through Hormuz and the IEA discussed emergency stock releases.
Shell shares rose about 1% in London on Tuesday as Brent crude held above $100 a barrel after renewed attacks on the UAE. The FTSE 100 gained 0.6%, with BP also up more than 1%. Shell continued its $3.5 billion buyback and reported buying back shares on March 16. The company said LNG demand could rise up to 68% by 2040, with Asia driving most of the growth.
GSK shares slipped 0.5% to 2,015 pence in London Tuesday after the company disclosed buying 628,000 shares on March 16 under its £2 billion buyback plan. Total repurchases since February 17 reached 10.55 million shares. The current tranche, worth up to £450 million, runs until April 24. Investors are also watching the expanded U.S. approval for GSK’s RSV vaccine Arexvy.
Unilever shares closed at 4,881 pence Monday after TD Cowen reiterated a Buy rating and a 5,800-pence target, citing expected 2% volume growth in 2026. The broker’s call follows Unilever’s annual report and a new pay policy proposal ahead of the 2026 AGM. CEO Fernando Fernandez faces scrutiny over post-demerger strategy, while the company warns of slower sales growth in the U.S. and Europe.
British American Tobacco bought 121,379 shares at an average 4,577 pence on March 16 as part of its ongoing buyback programme. Shares traded near 4,572 pence Tuesday, roughly flat on the day and up 6% from a month ago. BAT faces a shareholder lawsuit in London over North Korea disclosures and regulatory headwinds in Australia and Bangladesh. Velo, its nicotine pouch, is now No. 2 in U.S. market share.
AI dominates Hong Kong’s 2026 Filmart, with 28 sessions focused on generative technology in film production, animation, and screenwriting. Only one event addresses copyright risks. U.S. studios are mostly absent except Warner Bros. Discovery. Chinese firms Kling, Minimax, ShengShu AI, and TapNow AI lead a new AI hub at the event.
Evolution Mining shares fell 3.03% to A$13.10 on Monday, closing 11.43% lower over five sessions as spot gold dropped 0.5% to $4,993.42 an ounce. Australian gold miners slid ahead of a possible Reserve Bank rate hike, with the ASX 200 down 0.4%. Evolution maintained FY26 output guidance and reported record half-year profit of A$767 million. The company’s dividend reinvestment plan drew in 1.67% of shares.
National Australia Bank closed at A$47.06 on Monday, just below last month's record, as markets priced a 72% chance of a Reserve Bank rate hike this week. NAB reported a 16% rise in first-quarter profit to A$2.02 billion and a net interest margin of 1.80%. Oil prices remain above $100 a barrel after the Middle East conflict, fueling inflation concerns. NAB's consumer tracker showed household spending up 0.4% in February.
ANZ Group shares closed at A$37.45 on Monday, up 0.67%, ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s policy decision due at 2:30 p.m. AEDT. The stock remains below its February record of A$40.20, set after a strong first-quarter update. Markets are pricing a 75% chance of a 0.25-point RBA rate hike. ANZ’s half-year results and interim dividend dates have been moved up to early May.
Northern Star Resources shares dropped 5.38% Monday to A$20.58, deepening losses after last week’s 18.75% fall. The miner last week cut its fiscal 2026 production forecast and warned of weaker output at its key Kalgoorlie site. Investors await the March-quarter report due April 22. Broader declines in gold stocks continued, but Northern Star’s losses outpaced peers.
Santos Limited shares rose 2.1% to A$7.69 on Monday, outperforming a 0.4% drop in the S&P/ASX 200 as energy stocks gained. Brent crude settled above $100 a barrel, up nearly 40% since late February attacks on Iran, supporting exporters like Santos. The company is cutting 10% of staff after weak earnings and plans to boost production by up to 30% by 2027. Markets expect the Reserve Bank of Australia to tighten policy this week.
BHP Group's U.S.-listed shares rose 2.3% to $70.31 Monday after Britain's Court of Appeal dismissed a contempt case tied to the 2015 Mariana dam disaster and China eased curbs on one BHP iron ore product. The relief was limited, as China maintained broader restrictions on other BHP grades. Earlier in Sydney, BHP shares fell 1.2%. A second trial on Samarco dam disaster damages is set for April 2027.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia shares closed up 1.02% at A$175.53, their highest in over two weeks, as investors bought rate-sensitive lenders before the Reserve Bank of Australia’s policy decision. The S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.4% as miners dropped on weaker commodity prices. CBA led banking stocks higher, offsetting declines in major mining shares. Most economists expect the RBA to raise rates on Tuesday.
Woodside Energy shares closed up 1.9% at A$31.63 on Monday after the company defended its LNG-focused strategy and climate targets in a sustainability briefing. The S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.4%. Woodside said it met its 2025 emissions goal and has contracted most of its 2026–2028 LNG volumes. Delays were reported for its lower-carbon ammonia project in Texas.
Vodafone bought 2 million shares on March 13 under its €500 million buyback, with shares closing up 0.37% at 109.6 pence in London on Monday. The shares will be held in treasury, leaving about 23.11 billion in issue. Investors are watching for FY26 results on May 12, focusing on Germany and UK integration. Last month, Vodafone agreed to sell its VodafoneZiggo stake for €1 billion and a 10% share in a new Ziggo Group.
Aviva shares rose 1.14% to 640.6 pence Monday after the insurer disclosed it bought and cancelled 20,000 shares at 631.07 pence each on March 13. The buyback, handled by Citigroup, is part of a £350 million programme running through August. Aviva’s Solvency II ratio fell to 180% at 2025 year-end, and the company faces a £10.6 million fine over a pre-acquisition solvency error at UK Insurance.
Diageo shares closed Monday at about 1,450 pence, down 1.2%, near a 52-week low after last month’s profit warning and dividend cut. U.S.-listed ADRs fell 0.6%. The FTSE 100 rose 0.55% the same day. CEO Dave Lewis plans to present a new strategy later this year as weak U.S. and Chinese demand continues to weigh on the company.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang forecast at least $1 trillion in AI chip revenue through 2027 during the company’s annual developer conference in San Jose. The projection doubles Nvidia’s previous estimate for 2026 and is tied to demand for Blackwell systems and the Vera Rubin lineup. Huang said the next growth phase will come from inference and AI agents. Nvidia shares rose about 1.4% after the announcement.
Beazley Plc shares closed near 1,290 pence Monday, about 45 pence below Zurich Insurance’s 1,335 pence takeover offer. The deal, valued at £8.1 billion, is expected to complete in the second half of 2026 pending regulatory approvals. UBS and Barclays filed UK takeover disclosures. Beazley reported a 19% drop in annual pretax profit on March 4.
Legal & General bought nearly 3 million shares under a new £1.2 billion buyback, with shares to be cancelled, after closing up 0.65% at 247.9p Monday. Core operating profit missed forecasts at £1.62 billion and the Solvency II ratio fell to 210%. CEO Antonio Simoes said L&G is "very comfortable" with its capital and plans £2.4 billion in investor returns. Ric Lewis will step down from the board in May.
National Grid shares fell 1.27% to 1,356 pence Monday after UBS downgraded the stock to sell, citing high valuations and warning of potential pullbacks. UBS said the shares now trade at a 57% premium to their regulated asset base, near a 30-year high. National Grid defended its growth outlook, projecting 13–15% EPS growth in fiscal 2027. The stock remains up nearly 19% this year.