Thames Water grilled for £1m CFO joining bonus as firm struggles to avoid state rescue
August 10, 2026, 5:55 AM EDT. Thames Water handed CFO Steve Buck a £1 million signing bonus even as it faces heavy debt pressure and efforts to stave off a public bailout. The payout came from a £3 billion emergency debt deal. Critics say paying the bonus-on top of Buck’s £591,000 salary and with bonuses banned for most staff-sends the wrong message as the UK’s biggest water supplier battles environmental issues and looming insolvency. The bonus was delayed from 2025. The row now pits creditors, regulators and ministers against each other as the company’s fate hangs in the balance.
Thames Water faces row over £1m payment to…
BlackRock lifts Greatland Resources stake to 6.15%
August 10, 2026, 5:41 AM EDT. BlackRock, Inc. has upped its voting stake in Greatland Resources Limited to 6.15% as of July 31, 2026. The holding splits out to 4.63% in direct shares and 1.51% from financial instruments, including securities lending and CFDs. That gives BlackRock voting rights over 41.5 million shares. The FCA got notice on August 3, 2026, under UK disclosure rules. BlackRock last disclosed a 5.51% position in the mining explorer.
Thames Water Gave Finance Chief £1 Million Upfront as Debt Talks Drag On
August 10, 2026, 5:40 AM EDT.Thames Water paid its finance boss Steve Buck a £1 million signing bonus in July, even as its debt load neared £20 billion and talk of temporary nationalisation swirled. The payout, made on legal advice, reportedly used emergency cash provided by lenders. The company is in discussions with creditors and government officials to try to avoid a “special administration regime,” which would see the business temporarily nationalised while it looks for a rescue. Thames Water has faced criticism over its environmental record and was hit with a £122.7 million fine from Ofwat last year. CEO Chris Weston backs a lender-led fix to keep taxpayer money out of it.
Thames Water gave finance chief a £1m sign…
Lode Resources Seeks ASX Quote for 730,769 New Shares
August 10, 2026, 5:39 AM EDT. Lode Resources Ltd (ASX: LDR) has put in an application to the ASX to have 730,769 new fully paid ordinary shares quoted. The company said the new shares would boost its capital base and could help with liquidity. Lode is looking to grow its market footprint with the fresh issue. If the ASX signs off, the new shares will hit the board for trading.
Lode Resources Seeks ASX Quotation for Add…
Klear Kite LLC Cuts QinetiQ Stake to 14.86%, Drops Below 15% Line
August 10, 2026, 5:38 AM EDT. Klear Kite LLC, controlled by Christopher Harborne, has cut its holding in QinetiQ Group plc to 14.86% of voting rights, dropping below the 15% threshold as of August 4, 2026. The change was reported on August 6, 2026. No financial instruments linked to voting rights were listed, so the stake is in direct shares. UK-listed QinetiQ reports shifts like this when a large holder moves past a key level.
FTSE 100 Slips as Uncertainty Over Strait of Hormuz Lingers, Tech Names Rise
August 10, 2026, 5:24 AM EDT. London’s FTSE 100 dipped Monday, with investors watching for updates on the Strait of Hormuz and waiting for clearer US-Iran signals. Tech stocks moved higher, but losses in BAT, Unilever and Diageo hit the index. Energy got only a small lift from firmer oil prices. Plus500 traded higher as first-half income improved, while Pharos Energy dropped after it kept its offer for an oil and gas company unchanged. Vistry also lost ground after reports of lower supplier insurance cover. Action was light as traders weighed risks in the Middle East and global economy.
Barclays PLC Cuts Stake in Senior PLC to 5.17%
August 10, 2026, 5:23 AM EDT. Barclays PLC said its voting rights in Senior PLC dropped to 5.17% as of August 5, 2026, down from 5.32%. The position breaks down to 3.9% held directly and 1.27% through financial instruments, including contracts for difference and portfolio swaps. Barclays Capital Securities Limited holds the stake, with Barclays Bank PLC and Barclays Investment Solutions Limited listed in the ownership chain. The group filed the disclosure on August 7, 2026, to meet UK transparency rules.
Metlen Energy & Metals PLC does buybacks, updates treasury share numbers
August 10, 2026, 5:08 AM EDT. Metlen Energy & Metals PLC bought back 100,000 ordinary shares on Euronext Athens from August 3 to August 7, 2026, as part of its buyback plan announced on June 23. The price per share was between €46.26 and €48.46. Those shares went into treasury. Metlen also gave out 7,611 treasury shares for free under its long-term incentive plan. After these moves, the company’s share capital is now 143.4 million shares. Of those, 675,224 are held in treasury, which don’t carry voting rights, so there are 142.75 million voting rights in total. These numbers apply for FCA transparency rules and reporting on ownership.
NAB ASX:NAB Share Price Holds at $41.22; NIM, ROE in Focus
August 10, 2026, 5:07 AM EDT. National Australia Bank shares traded near $41.22 as investors looked at key fundamentals. NAB’s net interest margin is 1.71%, just under the 1.78% average for big ASX-listed banks. That margin tracks profit from lending after funding costs. NAB gets 81% of earnings from lending. Return on equity is 11.4%. Analysts note that employee culture scores are below the sector average, which could make it harder to keep talent and affect results. These numbers remain core to how investors weigh NAB against other Australian banks for long-term value and buying decisions.
4 best numbers to value NAB shares
GF Value™ Flags ASE Technology ASX as 206.2% Overvalued Despite July Revenue Jump
August 10, 2026, 4:53 AM EDT. ASE Technology Holding Co Ltd ASX posted unaudited consolidated net revenues for July 2026, showing solid month-over-month growth. Still, GF Value™ puts the stock’s overvaluation at 206.2%, with the market trading far above the estimated intrinsic value. The data points to a notable premium and a potential warning sign for investors.
ASX Looks 206.2% Overvalued on GF Value™
LondonMetric Property LSE:LMP Still Offers 6.7% Dividend Yield in FTSE 100
August 10, 2026, 4:52 AM EDT. LondonMetric Property LSE:LMP is holding near the top of FTSE 100 dividend yielders, offering a 6.7% forward yield and nearly 7% expected for fiscal 2028. The REIT runs a £7.6bn urban logistics portfolio. Current occupancy is 98.3%, average lease length is 17 years. Its triple net lease setup means tenants pay most operating costs, so 99% of rent goes straight to earnings. Legal & General’s move up has narrowed the gap, but LondonMetric is among the few FTSE 100 stocks still yielding over 6%. The company’s dividends have been rising for 11 years. Dividends are not guaranteed. The stock carries risk.
6.7% yield: I can’t stop buying this FTSE …
ASX Slides as Banks Fall on Mortgage Worries
August 10, 2026, 4:22 AM EDT. The Australian sharemarket lost ground Monday as the banks slid on a weak mortgage outlook. The drop in big lenders offset a lift for miners. Worries about mortgages hit bank stocks and kept the ASX in the red, even as strong commodity prices boosted mining shares.
Big banks pull ASX on gloomy outlook
Smiths Group Shares Get Lift from Buyback; Banks Weigh on ASX After Westpac Update – Market Update 10 Aug 2026
August 10, 2026, 4:21 AM EDT.Smiths Group PLC bought back almost 2 million shares at prices between 2,646 and 2,742 GBp from August 3-7 as part of its share buyback plan aimed at improving shareholder returns and capital use. The ASX 200 dropped after Westpac Banking Corp warned of softer profits, sending bank stocks lower as mortgage activity cooled with new tax rules. London’s rail networks faced delays, including the Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line, after issues like water leaks and tunnel closures, while near-miss incidents at Sydney Airport brought on safety reviews and staff changes.
Stock Market Today: Live Updates 10.08.202…
Smiths Group PLC Buys Nearly 2 Million Own Shares in August Buyback
August 10, 2026, 4:12 AM EDT.Smiths Group PLC bought 1,971,993 ordinary shares between 2,646 and 2,742 GBp each from 3-7 August 2026, trading across several London Stock Exchange venues. HSBC Bank plc handled the purchases for Smiths as part of the ongoing buyback program first announced 6 July 2026. The shares, with a nominal value of 37.5 pence each, could be cancelled or kept in treasury, depending on what the company decides. Smiths said it aims to create value for shareholders and boost capital efficiency. The buyback followed EU equity rules as adopted into UK law.
Near-Miss at Sydney Airport Spurs Staff Moves, Safety Probe
August 10, 2026, 4:11 AM EDT.Two workers have been temporarily stood down after a near-miss at Sydney Airport involving Jetstar and Qatar Airways aircraft. The incident disrupted flights and left a cabin crew member hurt. Transport Minister Catherine King said staff rostering will change next month. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is reviewing two recent near-misses tied to air traffic control issues at the airport. King said Airservices Australia is adding a training simulator and aims to approve 95 new air traffic controllers by year-end to ease staff shortages and boost safety.
Two workers were temporarily stood down af…
Heathrow Express, Elizabeth line hit by tunnel closure; rail delays worsen
August 10, 2026, 4:10 AM EDT. Network Rail said trains to Heathrow Airport were hit by major disruption after a tunnel was shut due to a water leak. The Elizabeth line is suspended between Hayes & Harlington and Terminals 4 and 5 until at least Monday night. Heathrow Express is running just two Paddington trains per hour. Rail bosses expect ‘major disruption until the end of the day’. Piccadilly line and certain buses (105, 278, 350, 482) are taking Heathrow tickets. Trains to Gatwick are also running with delays after a fire in Purley. Commuters face long waits and may need to find other ways to travel.
Heathrow Express and Elizbaeth line rail s…
ASX 200 falls as Westpac profit warning hits banks, mortgage demand slumps after Budget
August 10, 2026, 4:07 AM EDT. The ASX 200 traded lower with banks under pressure after Westpac Banking Corp flagged a weaker profit outlook. Banking shares moved down as Westpac’s guidance rattled investors. Mortgage applications dropped hard following the latest Budget tax changes. The pullback in mortgage demand showed up as borrowers reacted to the new policy shift. Bank stocks dropped, pulling the broader index down as traders weighed the effect of fresh tax rules on lending and profits.
Evening Wrap: ASX 200 dips as Westpac spar…
TORO dividend yield hits 11.32% after price drop and payout cut
August 10, 2026, 4:06 AM EDT. Chenavari Toro Income Fund NASDAQ:TORO is yielding 11.32%, lifted by exposure to high-risk European structured and leveraged credit like CLOs. The yield comes both from the fund’s 9%-11% annual return target and a 16% share price slump in the past year. That drop followed higher risk premiums, economic uncertainty, and a 20% dividend cut, down from €0.018 to €0.014 per share. The fund runs a variable dividend policy, so payouts can change with results-current yields aren’t locked in. Anyone looking at the stock needs to weigh the income against risk and questions about payout stability.
Yielding 11.32%, is this dividend stock to…
ASX futures climb as Wall Street sets new records; gold and oil firmer
August 10, 2026, 4:05 AM EDT. ASX futures were up 33 points, or 0.4%, pointing to a stronger open Tuesday. Wall Street closed at record highs, lifted by earnings and economic numbers. Gold and oil also rose as geopolitical worries and supply risks fed into prices. Investors are keeping an eye on commodities, with market sentiment in Australia likely to take a cue from these moves.
