Business 27 April 2026 - 30 April 2026

LegalZoom Drops Ahead of Shareholder Meeting as AI Fight Hangs Over Stock
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LegalZoom Drops Ahead of Shareholder Meeting as AI Fight Hangs Over Stock

LegalZoom.com traded lower in premarket Wednesday, with the stock near $6.53 as investors prepared for the company’s annual meeting. Shares have had trouble translating stronger sales into better numbers on the bottom line. The latest price was off 14.5 cents from Tuesday’s close, giving LegalZoom a market cap near $1.16 billion. The timing sets the scene. U.S. markets are open as usual, and Nasdaq’s 2026 holiday list shows the next full day off is Juneteenth, June 19. LegalZoom’s shareholder meeting is scheduled for later in the day, not on a weekend or holiday.
June 3, 2026
Air France-KLM’s $2.4 Billion Fuel Shock Forces a 2026 Flight Rethink
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Air France-KLM’s $2.4 Billion Fuel Shock Forces a 2026 Flight Rethink

Paris—April 30, 2026, 15:02 CEST. Air France-KLM slashed its 2026 capacity-growth outlook Thursday, citing an expected $2.4 billion jump in fuel costs this year tied to the Iran war. The Franco-Dutch group plans to hike ticket prices and rein in spending as it reins back growth plans. Capacity is set to climb just 2% to 4% from 2025, a downgrade from the previous 3% to 5% projection.
April 30, 2026
Shell’s $16 Billion Canada Bet Has Wall Street Giants Fighting Over LNG Canada
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Shell’s $16 Billion Canada Bet Has Wall Street Giants Fighting Over LNG Canada

Apollo Global Management, Blackstone, and KKR are now the last contenders vying for a large piece of Shell’s LNG Canada project, according to sources with direct knowledge of the private talks. The stake could fetch upwards of $10 billion, with some figures pointing toward $15 billion. Shell may still opt to retain part—or even all—of the holding. The offer reportedly covers both the operational initial phase and plans for a second phase. The clock’s part of the equation. Shell this week struck a $16.4 billion deal for ARC Resources, snapping up gas and liquids assets near its Canadian upstream base—the same region that supplies LNG Canada—even as it gauges whether investors might want a piece of the export project. That
April 30, 2026
BP PLC’s Venezuela Gas Deal Puts Its $3.2 Billion Profit Bounce to the Test
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BP PLC’s Venezuela Gas Deal Puts Its $3.2 Billion Profit Bounce to the Test

BP PLC is set to move into Venezuela’s Cocuina-Manakin gas field, and will also look at options in the offshore Loran area. The British oil giant signed a memorandum of understanding with Venezuelan authorities in Caracas on Wednesday—a framework agreement, not a binding investment. The deal lands just two days after BP posted a strong profit surprise. Timing’s critical here. Meg O’Neill, the new Chief Executive, wants to prove BP’s got room to expand in oil and gas, reduce its debt load, and not get pegged as just a one-hit wonder after a standout trading period. BP’s underlying replacement cost profit for the first quarter landed at $3.2 billion—ahead of the $2.67 billion analysts expected, according to the company’s own
April 30, 2026
Glencore PLC’s 19% Copper Jump Puts Trading Arm on Track to Beat Profit Target
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Glencore PLC’s 19% Copper Jump Puts Trading Arm on Track to Beat Profit Target

Glencore plc reported a 19% jump in copper production for the first quarter, with 199,600 metric tons mined, up from 167,900 a year ago. Its trading division looks set to surpass the upper end of its long-term profit goal, offering a boost for the London-listed giant even as commodity markets remain turbulent. The update lands at a time when copper is front and center for mining investors. The metal is critical for power infrastructure, EVs, and charging networks. Middle East energy turmoil is adding volatility—opportunities commodity giants tend to seize. “Early stages of a commodity supercycle,” is how BlackRock’s Evy Hambro put it to Reuters, noting the latest wave of capital shifting into hard assets.
April 30, 2026
Unilever Sales Beat Forecasts, But Price Hikes Are Coming as War Costs Bite
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Unilever Sales Beat Forecasts, But Price Hikes Are Coming as War Costs Bite

Unilever PLC plans to hike prices in certain markets and categories after cost inflation tied to the war ran hotter than anticipated — despite the Dove and Axe parent topping first-quarter sales estimates. Chief Financial Officer Srinivas Phatak told analysts those hikes would be rolled out “in small doses,” mostly during the second half. Nestle, Procter & Gamble, and Reckitt are contending with similar cost pressures. The timing’s key here: Unilever is just starting to see volume growth again, after years when consumer-goods names pushed prices higher and saw buyers drift to budget brands. In the first quarter, underlying sales growth—excluding currency and portfolio effects—came in at 3.8%. Volume added 2.9% to that, price 0.9%.
April 30, 2026
Meta Stock Drops as $145 Billion AI Spending Shock Overshadows Earnings Beat
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Meta Stock Drops as $145 Billion AI Spending Shock Overshadows Earnings Beat

Menlo Park, California, April 29, 2026, 13:46 PDT Meta Platforms bumped up its 2026 capital spending estimate to a hefty $125 billion to $145 billion on Wednesday. Shares slipped in after-hours trading, despite the Facebook parent topping analysts’ revenue forecasts. Capital spending covers outlays on things like data centers, servers, and other infrastructure built to last.
April 29, 2026
Alphabet Earnings Beat Wall Street As Google Cloud Surge Puts Google’s AI Spending Back in Focus
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Alphabet Earnings Beat Wall Street As Google Cloud Surge Puts Google’s AI Spending Back in Focus

Alphabet posted first-quarter revenue of $109.9 billion on Wednesday, beating Wall Street’s projections, with Google Cloud pulling in $20.03 billion—well ahead of the $18.4 billion analysts were looking for. Stronger demand for the company’s cloud business offered a clear sign that Alphabet’s big AI infrastructure bet is driving sales. Alphabet’s earnings are now central to gauging just how sustainable the AI surge is for Big Tech. Investors are backing heavy bets on data centers and chips, but that support hinges on steady returns from cloud, search, and ads—not runaway spending. Analysts were bracing for revenue to come in just short of $107 billion, around $106.9 billion to $107.0 billion, with a sharp focus on whether Google Cloud could keep growth
April 29, 2026
Western Digital Stock Rises as Seagate’s AI Storage Beat Puts $500 Target in Focus
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Western Digital Stock Rises as Seagate’s AI Storage Beat Puts $500 Target in Focus

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 28, 2026, 14:06 PDT Western Digital shares picked up roughly 5% in late Tuesday action as Seagate Technology’s earnings and outlook came in ahead of Wall Street’s targets, sharpening the focus on Western Digital’s ability to keep up with AI-driven storage demand. The company is set to report its fiscal third-quarter numbers after Thursday’s closing bell.
April 28, 2026
Verizon’s Subscriber Surprise Puts Its Turnaround on the Line as Profit Forecast Rises
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Verizon’s Subscriber Surprise Puts Its Turnaround on the Line as Profit Forecast Rises

• Verizon has raised its 2026 adjusted EPS goal after booking its strongest quarterly adjusted EPS growth in three years.• Postpaid phone net adds flipped positive in the first quarter—the first time that’s happened since 2013.• CEO Dan Schulman is now staring down fresh challenges: churn, slashing customer costs, and the ongoing Frontier fiber deal are up next for his turnaround push. Verizon Communications raised its 2026 adjusted profit forecast on the heels of a spring gain in postpaid phone customers—a rare first-quarter increase that signals momentum for new CEO Dan Schulman’s turnaround push. The carrier added 55,000 net postpaid phone lines, snapping a first-quarter losing run that had held since 2013.
April 28, 2026
Warren Buffett’s Successor Faces A $370 Billion Question As Berkshire Hathaway Meeting Nears
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Warren Buffett’s Successor Faces A $370 Billion Question As Berkshire Hathaway Meeting Nears

This week, Greg Abel steps up as Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO for his first turn on the stage at the annual meeting, putting Buffett’s chosen successor face-to-face with shareholders pressing for details on cash holdings, buybacks, and the direction of a stock portfolio so often tied to Buffett’s name. The company’s posted schedule has Abel kicking things off with a business update on May 2. He’ll then field questions alongside insurance chief Ajit Jain, before BNSF’s Katie Farmer and NetJets’ Adam Johnson join in. Timing is crucial here. Buffett remains chairman and will be present, yet Fortune said Tuesday he won’t be addressing the crowd this time—a break from tradition, as shareholders have long traveled to Omaha to watch him work
April 28, 2026
Santos Limited CEO Gets A$5 Million Equity Award as Barossa, Pikka Deadlines Loom
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Santos Limited CEO Gets A$5 Million Equity Award as Barossa, Pikka Deadlines Loom

Santos Limited disclosed that Chief Executive Kevin Gallagher received 665,283 share acquisition rights, an equity award with a notional value of about A$5.1 million based on the company’s Monday close of A$7.65. The rights were issued at nil consideration after shareholder approval earlier this month, a filing showed. The timing matters because Santos is trying to turn two large growth projects into cash flow. Barossa LNG, or liquefied natural gas, is due to restart its production ramp after commissioning problems, while first sales oil from the Pikka project in Alaska is expected in coming weeks.
April 28, 2026
PLS Group Limited’s A$38.1 Million Lithium Trial Tests Australia’s Battery-Materials Ambition
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PLS Group Limited’s A$38.1 Million Lithium Trial Tests Australia’s Battery-Materials Ambition

PLS Group Limited has kicked off commissioning at its Western Australia lithium-processing demonstration plant, which is supported by as much as A$38.1 million in federal funding. The launch represents a step up for the miner, taking it past the production of spodumene concentrate and into new territory. PLS also has a forward sales offtake arrangement in place with China’s Ningbo Ronbay New Energy Technology Co. Ltd for the plant’s lithium phosphate output. Timing is key here: Australia digs up plenty of the world’s battery raw materials, but turns relatively little of that into higher-value products domestically. ARENA Chief Executive Darren Miller put it bluntly—Australia provides “more than half” the world’s spodumene, yet “refines only a small portion at home.” That’s
April 27, 2026
Northern Star Buyback: Why the KCGM Turnaround Is Back in Focus
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Northern Star Buyback: Why the KCGM Turnaround Is Back in Focus

Northern Star Resources snapped up 923,598 shares over the first two sessions of its newly launched on-market buy-back, according to a fresh filing, putting the spotlight back on its A$500 million capital return plan after a volatile stretch for the Australian gold miner. On April 24, the company picked up 467,860 shares, following its purchase of 455,738 shares the previous day, for a combined outlay of roughly A$20.6 million. Timing is key here. Northern Star wants the market to see it can handle both paying out to shareholders and ramping up investment at Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines, or KCGM, even as it works through previous operational hiccups. Shares finished Monday at A$22.14—up 1.28% for the session, but still 6.82% lower
April 27, 2026
Fortescue Ltd China Iron Ore Deal Nears as CMRG Tests ASX:FMG Pricing Power
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Fortescue Ltd China Iron Ore Deal Nears as CMRG Tests ASX:FMG Pricing Power

PERTH, Australia, April 28, 2026, 05:10 Fortescue Ltd is nearing a deal with China’s state-backed iron ore buyer, according to a Monday report from Bloomberg, a move that could mark the miner’s entry into Beijing’s ongoing bid for greater sway over iron ore contracts. This comes after BHP Group resolved a different dispute. No details on the agreement were given, and the source with knowledge of the talks was not identified.
April 27, 2026
BHP Group Ltd’s Electric Train Push Hits Union Roadblock as Pilbara Race Tightens
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BHP Group Ltd’s Electric Train Push Hits Union Roadblock as Pilbara Race Tightens

BHP Group Ltd’s rollout of battery-electric locomotives in the Pilbara has hit delays, with safety protocols and union consultations complicating the start of operations for two new trains, The Australian reported on Monday. Instead of moving ahead as planned, the battery-powered units—designed to run without diesel—are still waiting to begin live trials on BHP’s iron ore lines connecting its mines to Port Hedland. BHP is under pressure right now to demonstrate a technology aiming to clean up a particularly carbon-heavy segment of its iron ore logistics, all while keeping shipments moving out of Western Australia. Back in 2022, the company pointed out that converting its entire WA iron ore locomotive fleet—over 180 in total—to battery-electric could chop diesel-related carbon emissions
April 27, 2026
Woodside Energy Stock Slips Before Q1 Report as CEO Pay Revolt Tests New Boss
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Woodside Energy Stock Slips Before Q1 Report as CEO Pay Revolt Tests New Boss

Woodside Energy Group dropped 1.47% to finish at A$32.13 on Monday, as investors braced for the company’s first-quarter results due April 29. New CEO Liz Westcott is already under scrutiny, coming off a major protest vote on pay. This update lands at a crucial moment, testing whether Australia’s top oil and gas player is tracking toward its 2026 production target after flagging weaker output for this year back in January. Woodside posted a record 198.8 million boe in 2025—boe blending both oil and gas—but has already cautioned that 2026 numbers will take a hit, thanks to planned maintenance at Pluto LNG and the rollout schedule for new Scarborough supply.
April 27, 2026
Diageo Shares Slip Before May 6 Update: Dave Lewis’ Turnaround Has Little Room for Error
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Diageo Shares Slip Before May 6 Update: Dave Lewis’ Turnaround Has Little Room for Error

Diageo shares slipped in London on Monday, a move that puts the Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Smirnoff parent in the spotlight ahead of its May 6 trading update—an early test for new CEO Sir Dave Lewis and his reset strategy. According to AJ Bell’s delayed data, the stock was changing hands at 1,462.6 pence, off 0.57%, giving the group a market cap around 32.5 billion pounds. Timing’s a factor here. Diageo plans to release its fiscal 2026 third-quarter trading statement on May 6, followed by a webcast and analyst call at 9:30 a.m. UK time. That’s the next scheduled window for investors to gauge if softness in both the U.S. spirits market and Chinese white spirits is starting to lift.
April 27, 2026
Haleon stock in focus as Google exec hire and £500 million buyback put Sensodyne maker before Q1 test
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Haleon stock in focus as Google exec hire and £500 million buyback put Sensodyne maker before Q1 test

Haleon PLC on Monday named Richard Manso—who previously held a senior post at Google—as its new U.S. chief marketing officer. The move puts Manso in charge of marketing in Haleon's biggest, highest-profile market, at a time when demand for certain consumer health products is still inconsistent. The timing around the hire is key as Haleon looks to ramp up U.S. growth ahead of its April 29 first-quarter trading update and annual general meeting. Manso steps in to head up the company’s integrated U.S. marketing operations, reporting directly to Nathalie Gerschtein, CEO, U.S. and president, North America, according to Haleon.
April 27, 2026
ITV PLC Share Price Rises as Sky Deal Watch Puts Broadcaster Back in Focus
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ITV PLC Share Price Rises as Sky Deal Watch Puts Broadcaster Back in Focus

ITV PLC finished Monday’s session in London up 0.81% at 80.90 pence, giving the broadcaster a market cap near £3.03 billion. Investors tracked developments on its talks with Sky, owned by Comcast. Volume landed at 17.3 million shares. It was a thin London session, and the FTSE 100 slipped 0.6%—that’s six days down in a row. The FTSE 250 barely budged, finishing flat. ITV managed to eke out a small gain, but that stood out as its own story, not a broader market move.
April 27, 2026
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