Marcin Frąckiewicz

Marcin Frąckiewicz is the CEO of TS2 Space and a longtime technology entrepreneur focused on telecommunications, satellite communications and digital innovation. A graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH), he writes about space technology, artificial intelligence and publicly traded technology companies. His analysis covers major market trends, emerging technologies and the businesses shaping the future of the global economy.

Anglo American plc Revives Coal Sale as Three Bidders Circle Australian Mines
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Anglo American plc Revives Coal Sale as Three Bidders Circle Australian Mines

Anglo American plc’s Australian steelmaking coal assets are back in play, with at least three bidders circling after last year’s $3.78 billion Peabody Energy deal collapsed. According to Bloomberg News, Stanmore Resources, Mitsubishi Corp, and Indonesia’s PT Buma Internasional Grup remain contenders for the business, which produces coal for blast furnaces. Why does this renewed interest matter? Anglo is moving to offload less important units, aiming to boost its copper profile. Back in February, it updated investors: coal sale on track, nickel disposal agreed, De Beers split in progress. All of it tied to Anglo’s bigger pivot—copper, top-tier iron ore and crop nutrients—as it prepares to merge with Teck Resources.
April 23, 2026
HSBC Hires JPMorgan Bullion Veteran as Gold Volatility Fuels London Hiring Race
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HSBC Hires JPMorgan Bullion Veteran as Gold Volatility Fuels London Hiring Race

HSBC Holdings Plc is bringing in James Willis, an executive director from JPMorgan, to head up global precious metals sales, according to four sources familiar with the situation. The hire marks the bank’s second major metals appointment this month and comes as London’s bullion market sees broader personnel changes. This stands out: HSBC continues to streamline operations and slash expenses, even as further job cuts loom. Yet metals hiring signals the bank isn’t shying away from selective investment.
April 23, 2026
Ripple Sets 2028 Quantum-Ready Plan for XRP Ledger After Google’s Crypto Warning
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Ripple Sets 2028 Quantum-Ready Plan for XRP Ledger After Google’s Crypto Warning

Ripple is targeting 2028 to get the XRP Ledger up to speed for post-quantum cryptography, setting a clear deadline for an issue much of crypto hasn’t pinned down yet. The company’s four-phase approach kicks off with testing this year and wraps up with a major network amendment to move the ledger to quantum-resistant signatures across the board. This shift comes into sharper focus as the threat timeline tightens. Back in March, Google security leaders Heather Adkins and Sophie Schmieg outlined 2029 as the company’s target for post-quantum migration. Around the same time, researchers Ryan Babbush and Hartmut Neven warned that upcoming quantum machines could compromise the elliptic-curve cryptography behind cryptocurrencies using fewer qubits and gates than once thought.
April 23, 2026
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc lands Australia frigate and U.S. Coast Guard work as defence orders build
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Rolls-Royce Holdings plc lands Australia frigate and U.S. Coast Guard work as defence orders build

This week, Rolls-Royce Holdings disclosed fresh naval contracts in both Australia and the United States, extending a series of defence-related announcements from the UK engineering group. The latest updates: equipment for Australian frigates, more U.S. Coast Guard cutters, plus a standalone Coast Guard maintenance deal. Timing is key here. Rolls-Royce shares went ex-dividend on Thursday, so anyone picking them up now won't get in on the next payout. The annual meeting is set for April 30, and the 5 pence final dividend lands June 3.
April 23, 2026
UK Mortgage Rate Cuts Spread — Barclays, Skipton And Santander Move Before BoE Decision
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UK Mortgage Rate Cuts Spread — Barclays, Skipton And Santander Move Before BoE Decision

Barclays and Skipton Building Society slashed mortgage rates on Wednesday, jumping into the latest wave of price cuts as lenders sought to claw back business following several weeks of turbulence in funding markets. That shift is grabbing attention, with borrowers hoping for some breathing room ahead of the Bank of England’s April 30 rate call. The Bank Rate—the core policy rate shaping broader lending—sits at 3.75%. Inflation? It’s jumped to 3.3%, topping the 2% goal.
April 22, 2026
Imperial Brands Buyback Rolls On as Market-Share Worries Hit the Tobacco Stock
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Imperial Brands Buyback Rolls On as Market-Share Worries Hit the Tobacco Stock

Imperial Brands PLC kept its buyback wheels turning this week, snapping up 190,000 ordinary shares for cancellation on April 21—despite fresh selling pressure hitting the tobacco group’s London-listed stock. The Bristol-based company, behind Winston, Davidoff and Gauloises, paid an average price of 2,758.2776 pence per share, a regulatory filing showed. Timing’s crucial here. Buybacks and dividends have long anchored the Imperial Brands investment story, but with market-share momentum lagging in core cigarette segments and growth slowing in smoking alternatives, investors are questioning if cash returns alone are enough to compensate.
April 22, 2026
BAE Systems plc Shares Drop Again as Defence Rally Hits a Harder Test
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BAE Systems plc Shares Drop Again as Defence Rally Hits a Harder Test

BAE Systems plc slipped for a second day on Wednesday, down 1.49% to £21.13, building on Tuesday’s 4.22% slide. Investors appeared to be stepping back from one of Europe’s defense heavyweights, with the trade looking crowded. The FTSE 100, meanwhile, edged down 0.21% in Wednesday action. It’s a tricky stretch for investors: BAE’s 2025 final dividend, 22.8 pence per share, lands on the record books April 24 and is set to pay out June 4. Their annual general meeting slots in between, on May 7. That payout brings this year’s total dividend to 36.3 pence.
April 22, 2026
Bitcoin Price Nears $80,000 After Michael Saylor’s Strategy Beats BlackRock With $2.5 Billion Buy
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Bitcoin Price Nears $80,000 After Michael Saylor’s Strategy Beats BlackRock With $2.5 Billion Buy

Bitcoin hovered around $78,800 on Wednesday, making another run at that $80,000 mark after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire extension gave risk appetite a jolt and Michael Saylor’s Strategy revealed a fresh hefty buy. Shares of Strategy jumped roughly 9%, with BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust adding about 5% during New York hours. Bitcoin’s rebound since April isn’t only about what’s happening in crypto circles anymore. Geopolitical shifts, renewed interest in exchange-traded funds, and the actions of a single company are all in play. According to Forbes, bitcoin has climbed nearly 30% after dipping to just above $60,000, pulling the market closer to thresholds that could attract momentum traders.
April 22, 2026
Tesco PLC Starts £750 Million Buyback As UK Inflation Squeeze Tests Profit Outlook
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Tesco PLC Starts £750 Million Buyback As UK Inflation Squeeze Tests Profit Outlook

Tesco PLC kicked off a share buyback of up to £750 million on Wednesday, moving forward with investor payouts despite a cloudier outlook for prices and shopper demand this year—the UK’s largest grocer isn’t backing away from handing out cash. Tesco announced the buyback will continue through April 2027, with Citigroup Global Markets handling purchases of ordinary shares on both the London Stock Exchange and Cboe Europe. The initial tranche, capped at £250 million, is designed to reduce Tesco’s share capital, the company said.
April 22, 2026
GSK plc Stock Slides as Buyback Nears Finish Line Before Q1 Results
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GSK plc Stock Slides as Buyback Nears Finish Line Before Q1 Results

GSK plc picked up 335,000 ordinary shares on Tuesday, according to a U.S. securities filing, as the company’s buyback program heads toward its planned end just ahead of next week’s earnings report. BNP Paribas handled the trades, paying between 2,074p and 2,130p per share; the volume-weighted average came in at 2,103.08p. These shares, bought for treasury, stay off the public voting tally, though they remain in GSK’s hands. The timing’s key here. GSK expects to wrap up the fourth tranche of its buyback by April 24. First-quarter results land at 0700 BST on April 29. Sure, buybacks help lift earnings per share by cutting the share count, but investors aren’t just watching that—they want clearer evidence of sales picking up.
April 22, 2026
NatWest Group Plc Q1 Earnings Preview: Profit Seen Steady as Bad-Loan Costs Rise
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NatWest Group Plc Q1 Earnings Preview: Profit Seen Steady as Bad-Loan Costs Rise

NatWest Group Plc is heading into its first-quarter results with analysts expecting operating profit before tax of £1.94 billion, almost unchanged from the previous quarter, while bad-loan charges are seen more than doubling. The bank’s investor relations team published the pre-Q1 consensus on Wednesday ahead of results due at 7 a.m. BST on May 1, and said the figures are average analyst estimates rather than management forecasts. The timing matters because the rate backdrop that lifted UK bank earnings last year is now less clear. A Reuters poll published Tuesday showed all 62 economists expected the Bank of England to hold Bank Rate, its benchmark interest rate, at 3.75% on April 30, while about 53% saw it unchanged for the
April 22, 2026
Anglo American plc Stock Jumps Before Dividend Payout As Teck Deal Enters Crunch Year
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Anglo American plc Stock Jumps Before Dividend Payout As Teck Deal Enters Crunch Year

Anglo American plc climbed 1.9% Wednesday, leaving the broader London market behind as traders shrugged off a standard dividend update and zeroed in on the miner’s copper-focused pivot. Shares finished at £36.29. The FTSE 100 slipped 0.2%, market data showed. This comes as Anglo edges closer to its Q1 production update and annual meeting, both on the near horizon. Shareholders are set to get their final dividend on May 6, and the company has now locked in the sterling and euro payout figures. For income-focused investors, that settles at least one detail.
April 22, 2026
National Grid Shares Rise as Exeter Upgrade Puts Britain’s Grid Bottlenecks Back in Focus
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National Grid Shares Rise as Exeter Upgrade Puts Britain’s Grid Bottlenecks Back in Focus

National Grid plc said Wednesday it delivered a 150-tonne transformer to its Exeter substation. The drop-off comes as Britain urges utilities to speed up grid upgrades, with the company marking the installation as a local milestone. Timing isn’t accidental. Just the day before, the UK government rolled out its Reformed National Pricing plan—a set of electricity market tweaks targeting constraint costs, those payments triggered when power can’t get from generator to consumer. Officials claim the changes will cut system costs, boost efficiency, and make the grid run more smoothly.
April 22, 2026
Glencore plc South Africa Power Deal Faces Nersa Test as Smelter Jobs Hang in Balance
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Glencore plc South Africa Power Deal Faces Nersa Test as Smelter Jobs Hang in Balance

South Africa’s energy regulator on Wednesday kicked Glencore plc’s chrome smelter rescue proposal into the public arena, inviting written feedback and announcing a hearing on Eskom’s revised pricing deals with Samancor Chrome and the Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture. That move brings the sought-after power tariff breaks to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, or Nersa, following several weeks of debate on restarting smelters without triggering another round of layoffs. Electricity costs are now the decisive factor for South Africa’s ferrochrome sector. Producing ferrochrome—an alloy of chromium and iron that’s key for stainless steel—demands hefty energy use; steep power tariffs have eroded the country’s edge, putting South African players behind Chinese rivals, despite still holding significant chrome ore reserves.
April 22, 2026
British American Tobacco’s Buyback Bet Faces a New UK Smoking Crackdown
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British American Tobacco’s Buyback Bet Faces a New UK Smoking Crackdown

British American Tobacco p.l.c. moved forward with its next share buyback phase Wednesday, tapping Merrill Lynch International to handle ordinary share repurchases from April 23 until June 29. This comes as UK lawmakers passed tougher legislation barring anyone who is under 18 today from ever legally purchasing cigarettes. Timing is crucial here. BAT is moving ahead with cash returns just as its core cigarette business hits a tougher regulatory backdrop at home, and investors are watching to see if products like Vuse vapes and Velo nicotine pouches can shoulder a bigger part of the business.
April 22, 2026
Rio Tinto’s Output Jump Comes With a Supply-Chain Warning Investors Can’t Ignore
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Rio Tinto’s Output Jump Comes With a Supply-Chain Warning Investors Can’t Ignore

Rio Tinto plc posted higher first-quarter numbers for iron ore and copper production, though the miner flagged uncertainty around fuel and supply chains for the second half due to the Middle East war. The company left its 2026 production and sales targets untouched—investors read that as an indication the immediate impact should be contained. Timing is key here. Rio Tinto wants investors to see that its Australian iron ore operations are still reliably producing, even as copper output from Mongolia’s Oyu Tolgoi ramps up. That copper link matters—think power lines, data centers, electrification.
April 22, 2026
McDonald’s New Under-$3 McValue Menu Is Here, but It May Not Cut Your Bill
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McDonald’s New Under-$3 McValue Menu Is Here, but It May Not Cut Your Bill

On Tuesday, McDonald’s introduced its updated U.S. McValue menu, bringing in items priced below $3 and a $4 breakfast meal deal. Gone is the buy-one, add-one-for-$1 promotion, which had appealed to bargain-seeking customers who considered it the better deal. This shift is significant: McDonald’s wants its value pitch to land, especially as price-sensitive customers keep a close eye on menus. Since 2024, the company has ramped up promotions, reacting to backlash over fast-food price hikes and a dip in visits from bargain hunters.
April 22, 2026
RELX Stock Slips Before Trading Update as Buyback and AI Test Loom
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RELX Stock Slips Before Trading Update as Buyback and AI Test Loom

Shares of RELX PLC slipped Wednesday, with the market eyeing Thursday’s trading update and annual general meeting—a key moment for a stock facing lingering anxiety over AI’s potential to shake up its professional data segment. By 16:15 BST, RELX was trading at 2,736 pence in London, off roughly 1.5% from the last close at 2,779 pence. Timing is key here. RELX, the provider of legal, scientific, risk and exhibitions data, is set to deliver its first scheduled trading update since reporting full-year numbers in February. Shareholders are on deck to vote on executive pay, the final dividend, and fresh buyback authorization. According to the company’s financial calendar, both the AGM and the 2026 trading update fall on April 23.
April 22, 2026
Lloyds Banking Group’s AI Investment Tool Puts UK Banks on Notice
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Lloyds Banking Group’s AI Investment Tool Puts UK Banks on Notice

Lloyds Banking Group has started testing an artificial-intelligence investment guidance tool with a select group of customers at Scottish Widows, even as UK regulators ramp up scrutiny of AI in financial services. The tool is labeled “guidance” rather than tailored advice, according to the bank. Scottish Widows Chief Executive Chira Barua likened it to a “satnav for investments.” Timing’s key here. With the lift from bigger lending margins waning, UK banks are chasing more fee revenue through wealth management. HSBC, Barclays, and Lloyds have each pushed further into the “mass affluent” bracket—sitting just under private banking—where digital platforms may make it cheaper to look after clients.
April 22, 2026
Haleon PLC Drops Asia Symbol After Deforestation Probe: Why Sensodyne Maker Faces New ESG Test
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Haleon PLC Drops Asia Symbol After Deforestation Probe: Why Sensodyne Maker Faces New ESG Test

Haleon PLC has dropped Asia Symbol from its packaging supply chain following an investigation by AFP and The Gecko Project, which connected the paper supplier’s pulp operations to deforested parts of Indonesian rainforest, habitat for orangutans. The Sensodyne and Panadol manufacturer said its internal review turned up no proof that material tied to deforestation made it into Haleon’s supply chain, though the company said it remained “very concerned.” It’s a tough moment for Haleon. The company has been ramping up its efforts in China, the market where the disputed packaging appeared. CEO Brian McNamara, speaking to Reuters last month, called China “an incredible market” for Haleon, as it supported a £65 million investment in an oral-health facility in Shanghai.
April 22, 2026
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