Business 2 May 2026 - 3 May 2026

Goodman Group’s AI Data Centre Bet Runs Into a Sydney Deadline
···

Goodman Group’s AI Data Centre Bet Runs Into a Sydney Deadline

Goodman Group’s plan for a 90-megawatt data centre at 12 Mars Road, Lane Cove, faces local opposition over height, noise, and infrastructure strain as the public comment period ends May 5. The project would demolish four warehouses for two 24-hour data centre buildings. Lane Cove already hosts or plans five data centres. Project Mars is classified as a State Significant Development under NSW planning rules.
May 3, 2026
Mineral Resources’ $765 Million POSCO Lithium Deal Hits the Real Test: Approvals and Debt
···

Mineral Resources’ $765 Million POSCO Lithium Deal Hits the Real Test: Approvals and Debt

Mineral Resources Ltd has signed agreements to sell 30% of its new lithium joint venture to POSCO Holdings for US$765 million, moving the deal into the approvals stage. Proceeds are expected to redeem US$750 million in bonds and cut annual finance costs by about A$150 million. MinRes lifted FY26 volume guidance and reported a net debt drop to A$4.5 billion. The transaction is not yet closed and remains subject to approvals.
May 3, 2026
Woolworths Group Ltd’s 300-Item Price Freeze Is Here — Investors Now Face Profit and Court Risk
···

Woolworths Group Ltd’s 300-Item Price Freeze Is Here — Investors Now Face Profit and Court Risk

Woolworths shares fell nearly 10% last week after the company cut its domestic food earnings outlook and announced a three-month price freeze on 300 staple products. Third-quarter group sales rose 4.5% to A$18.1 billion, but profit margins are under pressure. The company awaits a Federal Court ruling on allegations it misled shoppers with “Prices Dropped” promotions. Woolworths denies the claims.
May 3, 2026
Woodside Energy’s $17.5 Billion LNG Bet Faces Its First Big Buyer Test
···

Woodside Energy’s $17.5 Billion LNG Bet Faces Its First Big Buyer Test

Woodside Energy is facing buyer resistance over liquefaction fees for its Louisiana LNG project, with potential customers pushing back against rates above $2.80 per MMBtu, Reuters reported. The project is 24% complete and on budget, targeting first LNG in 2029. Woodside has signed one long-term deal with Uniper for up to 2 million tonnes a year. The company declined to comment on fee negotiations.
May 3, 2026
ANZ Profit Jump Masks a Tougher Test as Shares Slide After Half-Year Results
···

ANZ Profit Jump Masks a Tougher Test as Shares Slide After Half-Year Results

ANZ Group Holdings posted a first-half cash profit of A$3.78 billion and kept its interim dividend at 83 cents a share, with franking raised to 75%. Shares fell 2.84% to A$35.61 despite a 14% rise in cash profit and a 22% drop in operating expenses. Investors focused on credit risk and an unfinished overhaul. ANZ took a A$126 million collective provision charge, including A$175 million for Middle East conflict exposure.
May 3, 2026
Meta Stock Falls as Zuckerberg’s $145 Billion AI Spending Plan Tests Wall Street
···

Meta Stock Falls as Zuckerberg’s $145 Billion AI Spending Plan Tests Wall Street

Meta shares fell nearly 9% Thursday and closed Friday at $608.75 after the company raised its 2026 capital spending forecast to as much as $145 billion, citing higher data-center and component costs. First-quarter revenue rose 33% to $56.31 billion, but Reality Labs posted a $4.03 billion loss. Daily user numbers slipped from the prior quarter due to disruptions in Iran and Russia.
May 3, 2026
BHP Group Ltd’s China Iron Ore Deal Puts Rio Tinto and Fortescue on the Clock
···

BHP Group Ltd’s China Iron Ore Deal Puts Rio Tinto and Fortescue on the Clock

BHP’s new iron ore pricing deal with China gives more weight to yuan-based benchmarks, raising questions about future market terms for Australia’s top export. The agreement follows a standoff with China Mineral Resources Group and has drawn attention to China’s growing influence on pricing. BHP shares closed at A$54.94 on May 1, up 2.27%. Rio Tinto and Fortescue also rallied, lifting the ASX 200 after recent losses.
May 3, 2026
Tesco PLC Buyback Moves Ahead as Profit Risks Shadow UK Grocery Leader
···

Tesco PLC Buyback Moves Ahead as Profit Risks Shadow UK Grocery Leader

Tesco bought 415,107 shares for cancellation on April 30 under its £750 million buyback, taking the total to 2.89 million shares since April 22. The company reported £66.59 billion in sales and £3.15 billion in adjusted operating profit for the year. Tesco’s share capital stood at 6.38 billion shares as of April 30. The stock closed Friday at 480.75 pence, down 0.27%.
May 3, 2026
Weir Group PLC Shares Slide After CEO Shake-Up: Order Growth Becomes the Test
···

Weir Group PLC Shares Slide After CEO Shake-Up: Order Growth Becomes the Test

Weir Group shares fell 2.03% to £26.00 on Friday, extending losses after a trading update showed first-quarter organic orders down 3%, despite total group orders rising 4% at constant currency. Minerals division head Andrew Neilson will replace CEO Jon Stanton on August 1. The Minerals unit, which makes up over 71% of revenue, also saw a 3% drop in organic orders.
May 2, 2026
Airtel Africa’s $2 Billion Airtel Money IPO Plan Puts London Listing Back in Play
···

Airtel Africa’s $2 Billion Airtel Money IPO Plan Puts London Listing Back in Play

Airtel Africa shares fell 0.39% in London after reports the company is preparing an IPO of its Airtel Money unit, aiming to raise $1.5–$2 billion and value the business at up to $10 billion. Airtel Africa reports full-year results May 8, giving management a chance to address IPO timing and structure. Airtel Money revenue rose 29.4% to $986 million in the nine months to December 2025.
May 2, 2026
BAE Systems Faces £120 Million Lawsuit as Fresh Arms Sales Put Defence Giant in Spotlight
···

BAE Systems Faces £120 Million Lawsuit as Fresh Arms Sales Put Defence Giant in Spotlight

BAE Systems faces a £120 million legal claim in the UK High Court from Kenya’s EnComm Aviation over the withdrawal of support for Advanced Turbo-Prop aircraft used in African aid flights. EnComm alleges the move forced cancellation of humanitarian contracts and left its aircraft fleet nearly worthless. The case comes as BAE is named in new U.S.-backed arms sales to Qatar, Israel, and the UAE. BAE declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.
May 2, 2026
British American Tobacco Share Count Moves Again as BAT Buyback, Dividend Draw Focus
···

British American Tobacco Share Count Moves Again as BAT Buyback, Dividend Draw Focus

British American Tobacco allotted 19,950 new ordinary shares in April under its Sharesave Scheme, bringing total voting shares to 2,169,936,467 as of April 30. The company bought back and cancelled 260,511 shares over April 23–24 at prices above 4,200 pence. BAT declared a 245.04 pence dividend for 2025, with the first payment due May 7. Shares closed at 4,329 pence in London on May 1.
May 2, 2026
Why Anglo American plc’s latest filing puts its $53 billion Teck deal back in focus
···

Why Anglo American plc’s latest filing puts its $53 billion Teck deal back in focus

Anglo American confirmed 1,178,050,272 ordinary shares in its latest voting-rights filing ahead of its planned merger with Teck Resources. The company reported a 1% rise in copper output and a 31% drop in steelmaking coal for Q1. Chinese antitrust approval remains the last major hurdle for the merger, expected to close between September 2026 and March 2027. Anglo’s shares closed at 3,590 pence on Friday, up 0.10%.
May 2, 2026
1 … 9 10 11 12 13 … 44

Stock Market Today

  • Australia Wide Kids Boots Market to 2035: Growth, Import Dependence, and Trends
    May 23, 2026, 2:32 AM EDT. The Australian wide kids boots market is growing rapidly at 7-9% annually, outpacing standard children's footwear due to increased awareness of pediatric foot health and wider foot dimensions among kids. Import reliance is high, exceeding 95%, mainly from China, Vietnam, and Indonesia, with domestic production minimal. Specialist brands recommended by podiatrists command a 30-40% price premium and are gaining market share. Seasonal sales peaks occur in back-to-school and winter months, driving complex inventory cycles. Private-label offerings are expanding, compressing price gaps with branded products. Challenges include limited global production capacity, high costs pushing retail prices 25-35% above standard boots, and elevated inventory risks from diverse size-width combinations, impacting margins.