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.

National Australia Bank Says Cost-of-Living Stress Hits 12-Year High as Australians Switch and Spend Less
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National Australia Bank Says Cost-of-Living Stress Hits 12-Year High as Australians Switch and Spend Less

National Australia Bank flagged on Monday that Australian households are facing their highest cost-of-living stress in more than ten years. Its Consumer Stress Index—a measure tracking pressures related to jobs, health, retirement, expenses, and policy—hit 59.1 for the March quarter. The cost-of-living element surged to 71.8, a level not seen since 2014, as households cut back, hunted for cheaper deals, and delayed major purchases. The reading comes just as borrowers are digesting the Reserve Bank of Australia’s March 17 move to bump the cash rate up 25 basis points to 4.10%. Following suit, NAB has raised variable home-loan rates by the same margin as of March 27. The timing is crucial for banks, with bigger repayments now meeting a notable
March 31, 2026
Macquarie Group Ltd’s $200 Oil Warning Returns as Crude Tops $100
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Macquarie Group Ltd’s $200 Oil Warning Returns as Crude Tops $100

Macquarie Group Ltd’s call that oil might reach $200 a barrel came under the spotlight Tuesday, as U.S. crude closed above $100 for the first time since 2022 and Brent approached a record monthly surge with the Iran conflict escalating. What was once seen as an outlier prediction suddenly landed in the market’s mainstream chatter. Oil’s recent spike is stoking fresh inflation jitters and pushing worries about economic fallout, all while dealmakers are staring down heightened war risk in the Gulf. Already, Macquarie pulled out of the race for a Kuwait oil pipeline stake—a sign the conflict is hitting deals, not just pricing.
March 31, 2026
Westpac Banking Corporation Warns of 3 More RBA Rate Hikes as Oil Shock Fuels Inflation
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Westpac Banking Corporation Warns of 3 More RBA Rate Hikes as Oil Shock Fuels Inflation

Westpac Banking Corp has lifted its outlook for Australia’s key interest rate, now predicting the Reserve Bank will deliver three more hikes this year, kicking off in May, as surging fuel prices tied to the war ripple through the broader economy. The revised peak forecast stands at 4.85%, a level not seen since late 2008. Only two weeks after the RBA bumped the cash rate to 4.10% on a narrow 5-4 vote, the change is hitting. Canberra, meanwhile, is trimming fuel excise for three months to help shield households from surging petrol and diesel costs.
March 30, 2026
Commonwealth Bank of Australia Says EV Loan Demand Soars 161% as Fuel Crunch Drives Buyers Electric
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Commonwealth Bank of Australia Says EV Loan Demand Soars 161% as Fuel Crunch Drives Buyers Electric

Commonwealth Bank of Australia flagged a sharp 161.5% jump in battery electric vehicle loan demand for March, compared to February’s weekly average. Higher fuel prices and jitters over supply seem to be nudging Australians toward EVs. The lender’s car-buying portal inquiries leapt 136% in March, with EV loan page visits up 75%. Applications from businesses for Tesla vehicles soared—up 268% from a year ago. “The surge in interest we’ve seen in March is very significant,” said Tim Burdon, CommBank’s product owner for car buying and lending. Canberra’s decision on Monday to slash the fuel excise in half for three months comes right after Brent crude posted its steepest monthly jump ever. Diesel prices in Australia have pushed past A$3 a
March 30, 2026
Northern Star Resources CEO Converts A$7 Million in Rights Into Shares Ahead of April Quarterly
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Northern Star Resources CEO Converts A$7 Million in Rights Into Shares Ahead of April Quarterly

Northern Star Resources Ltd disclosed late Monday that CEO Stuart Tonkin exercised 380,837 vested performance rights, turning them into ordinary shares. The move, as outlined in regulatory notices, was valued at roughly A$7 million. The timing is crucial here: Australian gold miner Northern Star is still in damage control mode after its March 13 warning about the challenges of reaching even the lower end of its fiscal 2026 production target. The company has promised more specifics in its March-quarter update, set for April 22.
March 30, 2026
Woodside Keeps Browse CCS Alive With Plan to Refile Under New Australia Law
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Woodside Keeps Browse CCS Alive With Plan to Refile Under New Australia Law

Woodside Energy plans to resubmit its Browse carbon capture and storage proposal after pulling its initial application from Australia’s federal approval process. The company pointed to updated environmental laws that open the door for a fresh referral, keeping this pillar of its larger Browse gas project in play. Woodside baked in a CCS solution for Browse from the outset, aiming to capture reservoir CO2 that would otherwise vent to atmosphere. The development also hooks into the North West Shelf LNG network, which only got the federal environmental go-ahead through 2070 last year.
March 30, 2026
BHP Group Shares Lag Rio and Vale as Pilbara Recovery Turns Focus to April Review
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BHP Group Shares Lag Rio and Vale as Pilbara Recovery Turns Focus to April Review

BHP Group’s U.S.-listed shares slipped 0.7% Monday afternoon, trailing Rio Tinto—which jumped 2.5%—and Vale, up 0.3%. BHP was last seen at $69.03. Rio traded at $88.79, with Vale at $15.08. Investors still peg BHP to iron ore, despite the company's ongoing efforts to spotlight copper expansion. ASX records indicate BHP hasn't posted any fresh market filings over the past week, so the operational review scheduled for April 22—covering output for the nine months through March 31—remains the next notable event on the calendar.
March 30, 2026
Exxon’s Haimara Project Sharpens Focus on Guyana’s $2 Billion Berbice Gas Pipeline as Power Demand Climbs
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Exxon’s Haimara Project Sharpens Focus on Guyana’s $2 Billion Berbice Gas Pipeline as Power Demand Climbs

Georgetown, March 30, 2026, 16:09 ExxonMobil has pegged the Haimara gas field as the centerpiece for its ninth offshore project in Guyana. At the same time, a fresh utility forecast projects power demand could reach 1,575 megawatts by 2030, adding momentum to a proposed second gas pipeline to Berbice—a project the company estimates could top $2 billion.
March 30, 2026
Wall Street Rebounds, but Dow and Nasdaq Stay in Correction as Oil Shock Deepens
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Wall Street Rebounds, but Dow and Nasdaq Stay in Correction as Oil Shock Deepens

Stocks bounced Monday, with the Dow adding 324 points by 11:31 a.m. ET and the S&P 500 up 0.31%. The Nasdaq, barely positive at 0.05% higher, and the Dow both remained in correction territory—a 10% drop from recent highs—under pressure as investors tracked oil above $100 and focused on the escalating Middle East conflict around Iran. Brent crude hovered at $112.94 a barrel. The bounce didn’t fix the underlying issue. Brent crude has surged nearly 60% in March—the sharpest monthly gain ever logged—while government bond prices worldwide are staring at the steepest monthly drop seen in years. Markets have also abandoned previous expectations for Fed rate cuts this year.
March 30, 2026
Haleon shares rise after 8.9 million-share buyback ahead of April update
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Haleon shares rise after 8.9 million-share buyback ahead of April update

Haleon reported Monday it’s snapped up 8.94 million shares for cancellation, marking progress on the £500 million buyback drive the consumer health group kicked off earlier this month. Shares gained 2.53%, trading at 376.2 pence in London’s delayed session. Haleon is turning to buybacks as it works to rebound from a weaker-than-expected start to 2026. Back in February, the Sensodyne maker projected organic revenue growth of 3% to 5% for 2026—shy of its medium-term target range of 4% to 6%. “We feel confident the U.S. will grow this year,” CEO Brian McNamara told Reuters at the time. Investors will get their next update on April 29, when Haleon releases its trading statement.
March 30, 2026
Vodafone Shares Rise After Latest Buyback Filing as Germany Recovery Stays in Focus
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Vodafone Shares Rise After Latest Buyback Filing as Germany Recovery Stays in Focus

Vodafone Group Plc picked up 2.7 million of its own shares on March 27, paying an average price of 110.93 pence apiece. The stock finished the day up 2.1% in London. Monday’s disclosure is part of Vodafone’s ongoing 500 million euro buyback. The purchased shares head to treasury — meaning the company keeps them off the market. The filing itself is minor. Still, it comes as Chief Executive Margherita Della Valle pushes capital returns—Vodafone is targeting a 2.5% increase in the FY26 dividend—while she tries to convince investors the turnaround is sticking in Germany and the UK. Guidance remains at the upper end for full-year profit and cash flow. FY26 results are out May 12.
March 30, 2026
3i Group CEO Buys £9 Million of Stock After Action Slowdown Triggers Selloff
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3i Group CEO Buys £9 Million of Stock After Action Slowdown Triggers Selloff

Simon Borrows, chief executive of 3i Group, snapped up almost £9 million worth of shares following last week’s sharp decline in the FTSE 100 investment company. According to a regulatory filing released Monday, Borrows and family trusts tied to him acquired 350,147 shares at £25.55 apiece on March 26. This shift carries weight since 3i’s stock tracks closely with Action, the Dutch discount retailer that dominates its portfolio. Shares slumped 17.66% on Thursday, triggered by Action’s latest figures: like-for-like sales up just 4.0% for the first 12 weeks of 2026. Full-year guidance? No change.
March 30, 2026
Informa Plc accelerates share buyback, cancels 1.9 million shares as stock stays off highs
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Informa Plc accelerates share buyback, cancels 1.9 million shares as stock stays off highs

Informa Plc repurchased 1.897 million shares for cancellation last week, according to a Monday filing, continuing with its 2026 return programme. The London-listed events and academic publishing firm paid an average price of 756.55 pence per share, volume-weighted. Once the transaction settles, the company’s outstanding shares will drop to 1.274 billion. The filing reveals the company continues to buy aggressively, following its March 12 announcement to boost this year’s commitment to £250 million from £200 million. Chief Executive Stephen Carter pointed to robust cash generation and lower equity values as reasons for the increase.
March 30, 2026
SSE Shares Jump as Utility Maps Out £29 Billion Grid Push Ahead of RIIO-T3
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SSE Shares Jump as Utility Maps Out £29 Billion Grid Push Ahead of RIIO-T3

SSE on Monday outlined plans for its SSEN Transmission arm, targeting gross capital spend of about £29 billion over the plan period. Net impact for the group, according to investor materials, comes in at roughly £22 billion. RIIO-T3 stands at the center of this—Ofgem’s five-year price control, stretching from April 2026 to March 2031, underpins SSE’s £33 billion investment program. On March 2, SSE gave the green light to Ofgem’s final terms, describing the deal as “investable and deliverable.”
March 30, 2026
Australia Stock Market Slips as Westpac Leads Bank Selloff, Rio Tinto and South32 Surge
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Australia Stock Market Slips as Westpac Leads Bank Selloff, Rio Tinto and South32 Surge

The S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.6% to finish at 8,461 on Monday, after falling as much as 1.5% in early trading. Banks and tech names led the decline, but miners and energy stocks bucked the trend, moving higher as oil and aluminium prices rallied. Investors are feeling the pinch on two sides. Brent crude’s sharp rally has stiffened bets on higher rates, and according to HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham, the longer this conflict drags on, “the more disruptive the shock is expected to be” for growth.
March 30, 2026
NatWest Group Plc Raises Mortgage Rates Again as UK Home Loan Costs Climb
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NatWest Group Plc Raises Mortgage Rates Again as UK Home Loan Costs Climb

NatWest Group plans to bump up mortgage rates again from March 31, covering new business, existing customers, and extra borrowing ranges—just days after its last adjustment landed on March 26. Most purchase and remortgage products are set for a 28 basis-point increase, or 0.28 percentage point, the bank’s intermediary site shows. It’s a tough moment for both NatWest and borrowers. Fresh numbers from the Bank of England on Monday put mortgage approvals at 62,584 for February—that’s a three-month high, pointing to a pick-up in housing demand just before funding costs surged in March and squeezed lenders.
March 30, 2026
Standard Chartered PLC Hires Ex-Deutsche Banker Ole Matthiessen to Lead Digital Assets Push
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Standard Chartered PLC Hires Ex-Deutsche Banker Ole Matthiessen to Lead Digital Assets Push

LONDON, March 30, 2026, 17:12. Standard Chartered has tapped Ole Matthiessen, formerly of Deutsche Bank, to lead its freshly formed transaction services and digital assets division within the corporate and investment bank. The bank said Monday that Matthiessen will take the role from Singapore, reporting directly to corporate and investment bank CEO Roberto Hoornweg.
March 30, 2026
Compass Group Gets BNP Paribas Upgrade Ahead of Dollar Switch on LSE
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Compass Group Gets BNP Paribas Upgrade Ahead of Dollar Switch on LSE

Compass Group shares caught a break Monday. BNP Paribas lifted the British contract caterer to “neutral” from “underperform”, though the target price went lower at 2,150 pence. The rating shift lands just two days ahead of Compass’s planned move to trade its London-listed shares in U.S. dollars instead of sterling. The clock’s ticking for Compass. Sentiment hasn’t fully recovered since February’s drop, even though the company posted a decent first-quarter update. Investors, according to Reuters at the time, worried that AI advances might eat into demand from office customers—tech, finance, and professional services. Those three segments together make up roughly 20% of Compass’s revenue.
March 30, 2026
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