Business News 14 May 2026 - 19 May 2026

Monarch Casino Shares Tick Higher With Holiday Looming, Legal Issue Still Present
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Monarch Casino Shares Tick Higher With Holiday Looming, Legal Issue Still Present

Monarch Casino & Resort shares rose 0.6% to $116.91 Friday afternoon, as investors weighed record first-quarter results against a $78.5 million construction litigation liability. Net income jumped 38.9% to $27.6 million on revenue of $136.6 million. Monarch repurchased $17.6 million in shares and declared a 30-cent dividend. The move came ahead of the Memorial Day market closure.
May 22, 2026
Unilever Shares Edge Up After Jefferies Warning, CEO Pay and Buybacks Back in Focus
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Unilever Shares Edge Up After Jefferies Warning, CEO Pay and Buybacks Back in Focus

Unilever shares rose 1.4% to 4,316 pence in early London trading Tuesday, outpacing the FTSE 100. The move followed a regulatory filing showing CEO Fernando Fernandez and CFO Srinivas Phatak received share awards worth about £4.9 million and £2.75 million, respectively. Jefferies cut its target price on the stock, citing activist pressure and ongoing portfolio changes.
May 19, 2026
Xero Stock to Watch After A$550 Million Buyback, Melio Margin Concerns
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Xero Stock to Watch After A$550 Million Buyback, Melio Margin Concerns

Xero shares fell 2.0% to A$78.07 Monday ahead of the ASX open, as investors weighed a planned A$550 million buyback against weaker profit and lower margins tied to its U.S. expansion. FY26 net profit dropped 27% to NZ$167.4 million, while revenue rose 31% to NZ$2.75 billion. The company added 110,000 U.S. customers and integrated Melio payments. Trading resumes Tuesday with no holiday closures scheduled.
May 18, 2026
Legal & General shares are barely moving — but takeover talk has the City watching
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Legal & General shares are barely moving — but takeover talk has the City watching

Legal & General Group shares rose 0.34% to 265.70p in late London trading Monday amid renewed takeover speculation, following a Financial Times report that private capital firms are circling the insurer. CEO António Simões denied any sale talks, saying he is focused on his strategy. Potential bidders reportedly see political and execution hurdles due to L&G’s size and large gilt holdings.
May 18, 2026
JTC stock sticks near offers as midcaps slip
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JTC stock sticks near offers as midcaps slip

JTC Plc traded at 1,315p on Monday, about 1.9% below Permira’s agreed 1,340p cash offer. The stock’s discount reflects remaining deal risks, with investors awaiting court sanction and final approvals. Societe Generale disclosed a 5.33% interest and a 4.87% short position in JTC, while Tudor Investment Corporation reported cash-settled derivatives totaling 2.36%. The FTSE 250 index fell 0.59% amid broader market pressure.
May 18, 2026
British American Tobacco up as buyers look for safety
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British American Tobacco up as buyers look for safety

British American Tobacco shares rose 1.54% to 4,939 pence in London by 10:56 BST, nearing a 52-week high as global markets remained volatile amid Middle East tensions. The FTSE 100 edged up 0.26%, supported by gains in tobacco and oil stocks. BAT confirmed a 245.04 pence interim dividend for 2025. Growth in its Velo nicotine pouches continued, with the product gaining U.S. market share.
May 18, 2026
Berkshire Hathaway successor update: Delta in, Amazon out
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Berkshire Hathaway successor update: Delta in, Amazon out

Berkshire Hathaway revealed a $2.65 billion stake in Delta Air Lines and sharply increased its Alphabet holdings in the first quarter, while exiting Amazon, Visa, Mastercard, and UnitedHealth. The Form 13F filing showed Berkshire held 39.8 million Delta shares and about $16.6 billion in Alphabet stock as of March 31. Greg Abel oversaw the changes after taking over as CEO. U.S. markets will react when trading resumes Monday.
May 17, 2026
Woolworths Group under pressure on pricing after losing Coles case
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Woolworths Group under pressure on pricing after losing Coles case

The Federal Court found Coles misled shoppers with “Down Down” discount claims; Woolworths now awaits judgment in a similar ACCC case over its “Prices Dropped” promotion covering 266 products. Woolworths shares closed at A$32.98, up 0.44% on May 15, but fell 1.9% after the Coles ruling. Penalties for Coles will be set later. Coles and Woolworths together sell nearly two-thirds of Australia’s groceries.
May 16, 2026
Macquarie Group Ltd’s UK Energy Deal Hits Watchdog Test After Profit Boom
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Macquarie Group Ltd’s UK Energy Deal Hits Watchdog Test After Profit Boom

Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority is seeking public input on Macquarie Group’s planned acquisition of Energy Assets Group, with comments open until May 29. The CMA has not yet started a formal Phase 1 probe. Macquarie Asset Management agreed in February to buy 100% of EAG, which manages 1.8 million smart meters and 148,000 grid connections in the UK. Macquarie reported a 30% rise in annual net profit to A$4.847 billion.
May 15, 2026
IAG Completes €500 Million Buyback, But Fuel Shock Keeps British Airways Owner Under Pressure
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IAG Completes €500 Million Buyback, But Fuel Shock Keeps British Airways Owner Under Pressure

International Consolidated Airlines Group completed a €500 million buyback, acquiring 2.53% of its shares for treasury ahead of a planned cancellation pending shareholder approval. IAG shares fell 2.58% to 374.50 pence, despite first-quarter operating profit jumping 77.3%. The company warned of lower annual profit and higher fuel costs amid ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
May 15, 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • Valuing CBA Shares Using Dividend Yield and PE Ratio
    May 23, 2026, 12:29 AM EDT. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) shares trade at $165.67 with a price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 29.4 times, above the banking sector average of 18 times. Calculating fair value by multiplying CBA's earnings per share ($5.63) by the sector PE suggests a valuation near $102.50, indicating current shares may be overvalued relative to peers. The bank's steady dividend payments, common among Australian banks, support dividend discount model (DDM) approaches to valuation, which factor in expected dividends for estimating intrinsic share price. Investors should consider sector comparisons and stable dividend histories when assessing CBA share investment potential.