Business 25 March 2026 - 30 March 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
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
Toyota ‘Will Not Survive’ Without Change, Koji Sato Warns as China Pressure Builds
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Toyota ‘Will Not Survive’ Without Change, Koji Sato Warns as China Pressure Builds

Toyota’s outgoing chief executive Koji Sato delivered a blunt warning to suppliers at the company’s March 25 Supply Partners Convention: survival isn’t guaranteed without real change. Addressing roughly 700 executives representing 484 firms, Sato said, “unless things change, we will not survive,” according to Automotive News. The message landed as the world’s top automaker faces pressure from Chinese competitors, fresh tech, and tariff shakeups. Timing comes into play here. Kenta Kon steps in as CEO on April 1, part of a management shakeup that Toyota claims will help it move faster as conditions get tougher. The group’s latest numbers back that up: on Monday, Toyota reported a 3.9% dip in global production for February, and worldwide sales slipped 3.3%. Sales
March 30, 2026
BAE Systems plc buyback filing lands as defence orders pile up from the U.S. to Europe
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BAE Systems plc buyback filing lands as defence orders pile up from the U.S. to Europe

BAE Systems plc reported Monday it repurchased 505,128 ordinary shares for cancellation from March 23 to March 27, as part of its ongoing capital return plan. The transactions appeared in a weekly filing to the London market. The timing stands out. Just five days back, the Pentagon announced BAE, Lockheed Martin and Honeywell would ramp up munitions production, planning to quadruple output of seekers — those guidance components that steer THAAD interceptors to their targets — as Washington urges contractors to accelerate manufacturing. U.S. officials have been turning up the heat on defense firms to prioritize factory output over shareholder returns.
March 30, 2026
Unilever PLC Food Business Talks With McCormick Enter Critical Week Ahead of Earnings
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Unilever PLC Food Business Talks With McCormick Enter Critical Week Ahead of Earnings

Unilever PLC kicked off trading in London at 4,500 pence on Monday. McCormick is set to release its first-quarter numbers on March 31, following a Reuters report from March 27 that said any potential merger talks would likely result in Unilever shareholders holding the majority of the new entity. Timing is key here. If this deal goes through, it would be Unilever’s biggest portfolio shakeup since splitting off its Magnum ice cream unit last December. Chief Executive Fernando Fernandez is doubling down on pushing Unilever deeper into faster-expanding beauty, personal care, and wellbeing categories. Still, foods accounted for 26% of turnover in 2025, even as Beauty & Wellbeing and Personal Care outpaced it in growth.
March 30, 2026
BP PLC Faces Crucial Week as Oil Rally Boosts Outlook Before Meg O’Neill Takes Charge
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BP PLC Faces Crucial Week as Oil Rally Boosts Outlook Before Meg O’Neill Takes Charge

Brent crude is trading over $115 a barrel as BP readies for its April 1 leadership transition, putting the company on track for its steepest monthly gain since at least 1988, LSEG data shows. That’s a markedly stronger setup for incoming CEO Meg O’Neill than just a few weeks back. O’Neill steps into the role April 1. Timing is key for BP, which has had a slimmer safety cushion than certain peers. Back in February, BP announced it would pause $750 million in quarterly buybacks and absorb around $4 billion in charges tied to renewables and biogas holdings. The company is now redirecting extra cash flow toward slashing net debt, aiming for a $14 billion to $18 billion range by
March 30, 2026
HSBC Holdings Plc CEO Doubles Down on AI Overhaul as Cost-Cut Drive Sharpens
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HSBC Holdings Plc CEO Doubles Down on AI Overhaul as Cost-Cut Drive Sharpens

Georges Elhedery, CEO of HSBC Holdings, described himself as having been "ruthless about killing complexity" while driving the bank's push toward AI transformation. He made the comments in a Bloomberg interview and podcast episode released Monday. Timing comes into play. Just last week, HSBC introduced its inaugural chief AI officer, and only days before, Bloomberg News—cited by Reuters—reported that the bank could eventually slash up to 20,000 jobs, which is about 10% of its total staff. Most of those cuts would hit non-client-facing positions, though the plan is still in its early days. Both steps point to a sharper focus on AI, streamlined management, and tighter costs as HSBC maps out its next chapter.
March 30, 2026
Glencore Copper Smelter Rescue Takes Shape as Canada, Quebec Move to Avert Shutdown
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Glencore Copper Smelter Rescue Takes Shape as Canada, Quebec Move to Avert Shutdown

Canada and Quebec are scrambling to keep Glencore’s Horne smelter running, after the company warned it could close the plant in response to stricter pollution limits. According to Dow Jones, which cited a Bloomberg piece that referenced people with knowledge of the talks, Ottawa is mulling roughly C$150 million in aid, while Quebec is looking at possible tweaks to emissions standards. The issue stretches far past just one town in Quebec. According to RBC, Horne and its connected Canadian Copper Refinery make up the country’s sole copper smelter-refinery network still running. Charles Cooper at Wood Mackenzie described the facility as “absolutely instrumental” for North America’s copper supply. Bloomberg put the plant’s share at roughly 16% of regional smelting capacity, with
March 30, 2026
KPMG UK Layoffs: Up to 440 Audit Jobs at Risk as Low Attrition and Weak Demand Bite
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KPMG UK Layoffs: Up to 440 Audit Jobs at Risk as Low Attrition and Weak Demand Bite

KPMG’s UK audit division is bracing for potential layoffs, with a redundancy consultation that could put as many as 440 jobs on the line. Bloomberg noted that close to 600 audit staff received notice their positions might be cut. The proposal would trim about 6% from a business that currently employs around 7,100 people. This shift is notable, hitting even the typically stable audit divisions of the Big Four. With a cooler hiring climate, voluntary departures have slowed, and softer consulting demand is pushing firms to scrutinize expenses. KPMG’s January numbers underline the story: audit sales up 5% in 2025, but advisory revenue slipped 3%.
March 30, 2026
Aristocrat Leisure Buyback Hits A$1.25 Billion as 2027 Plan Enters Final Stretch
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Aristocrat Leisure Buyback Hits A$1.25 Billion as 2027 Plan Enters Final Stretch

March 30, 2026—Sydney, 07:12 AEDT Aristocrat Leisure scooped up another 108,649 shares in its latest buy-back, dropping A$5.04 million on March 26, according to its most recent filing. So far, that pushes spending on the expanded on-market buy-back to roughly A$1.25 billion. The gaming supplier’s tally now stands at 22.07 million shares repurchased, using just over 83% of the A$1.5 billion buy-back program.
March 29, 2026
Mineral Resources Limited Faces Fresh Onslow Iron Risk as Ashburton Port Stays Shut After Cyclone
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Mineral Resources Limited Faces Fresh Onslow Iron Risk as Ashburton Port Stays Shut After Cyclone

Mineral Resources Limited is dealing with another export snag at its Onslow Iron operation, as the Port of Ashburton—the Western Australia hub for its iron ore—remained shut through the weekend in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle. As of now, Pilbara Ports’ alert page continues to show Ashburton closed, despite Dampier, its neighbor, reopening on March 28. Timing is key here. Onslow Iron is now MinRes’ main moneymaker, with the company reporting back in February that the project hit its nameplate 35 million-tonne yearly pace in August. That translated into A$519 million in half-year underlying earnings, or EBITDA.
March 29, 2026
Xero Limited Bets on Anthropic to Put Claude AI Inside Small-Business Finance
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Xero Limited Bets on Anthropic to Put Claude AI Inside Small-Business Finance

Xero on Thursday announced a multi-year deal with Anthropic, planning to weave Claude into its accounting platform and allow users to tap Xero data directly within Claude.ai. The move is set to deepen the company's AI offerings for small business clients. Fresh tools from the partnership are expected to roll out in the coming months. Timing has played a big role here. Earlier this year, Anthropic’s latest product launches sent software stocks tumbling, investors concerned that AI would eat into legacy software firms’ business. Sentiment calmed somewhat after Anthropic lined up partnerships with established players.
March 29, 2026
Suncorp Group CEO Steve Johnston Takes Medical Leave, CFO Jeremy Robson Named Acting Chief
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Suncorp Group CEO Steve Johnston Takes Medical Leave, CFO Jeremy Robson Named Acting Chief

Suncorp Group announced that Chief Executive Steve Johnston is taking a temporary medical leave, putting Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Robson in the acting CEO seat for now. Neil Wesley, who heads up strategy, corporate development, and investor relations, steps into Robson’s role as acting CFO. The handover arrives days ahead of Suncorp’s interim dividend payout scheduled for March 31. The Brisbane insurer is still coming off a tough first half, having spent recent weeks calming investors rattled by hefty weather-related claims that weighed on profits but, according to management, left the broader business intact. Suncorp hasn’t specified when Johnston will be back, describing the leave simply as a "short period."
March 29, 2026
SMIC Stock News: Iran Allegations Cloud China Chipmaker’s 2026 Growth Push
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SMIC Stock News: Iran Allegations Cloud China Chipmaker’s 2026 Growth Push

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp is under renewed geopolitical scrutiny after Reuters reported that two senior U.S. officials have accused the Chinese chipmaker of supplying chipmaking equipment—and likely technical training—to Iran’s military, starting about a year ago. The officials did not specify if the equipment was sourced from the U.S. SMIC has yet to respond to Reuters’ request for comment. Timing is a factor here. SMIC, in a March 26 action plan submitted to both Shanghai and Hong Kong, laid out intentions to expand on what it’s already built and push for fresh growth in 2026. The plan touches management, R&D, governance, investor relations, and ESG — environmental, social and governance — initiatives.
March 29, 2026
Xiaomi Stock in Focus After Fresh Buyback as Profit Slip Tests EV and AI Bets
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Xiaomi Stock in Focus After Fresh Buyback as Profit Slip Tests EV and AI Bets

Xiaomi snapped up 2.2 million shares on March 27, spending HK$71.4 million, a filing in Hong Kong revealed. The move came just days after Xiaomi reported its first quarterly profit drop in three years. Shares in the company, which trades in Hong Kong, closed out Friday at HK$33.00—up 1.73%, per LSEG figures published on Xiaomi’s investor relations page. Why does it matter now? Investors are trying to figure out if Xiaomi’s bets on electric vehicles and AI can help offset mounting pressure in its core phone segment. In its annual report released March 24, Xiaomi disclosed it had bought back around 130.5 million shares for about HK$4.7 billion as of March 20. The company’s adjusted net profit, which leaves out
March 29, 2026
Rolls-Royce Share Price Falls Again Despite Defence Contract, Fresh Buyback
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Rolls-Royce Share Price Falls Again Despite Defence Contract, Fresh Buyback

Rolls-Royce shares extended their retreat on Friday, falling about 2.4% to 1,122 pence by 1301 GMT after a 3.69% drop a day earlier. That leaves the stock about a fifth below the 1,420 pence peak it hit on Feb. 26. That matters now because fresh company news has not been enough to lift the stock in a broader selloff. UK equities were heading for a fourth straight weekly decline on Friday as the Middle East conflict kept oil above $110 a barrel and sharpened worries about inflation and growth.
March 27, 2026
Co-op CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq to Step Down as Cyberattack Fallout and Costs Bite
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Co-op CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq to Step Down as Cyberattack Fallout and Costs Bite

Shirine Khoury-Haq is leaving her post as Co-op Chief Executive on March 29, ending a four-year stint at the helm. Board member Kate Allum steps in as interim chief while the search for a permanent replacement gets underway. The shakeup follows a challenging period for the British member-owned retailer, including a cyberattack, sluggish sales, and fresh scrutiny over leadership culture. Timing is key here. Co-op reported a 2.3% drop in 2025 revenue to 11 billion pounds, swinging from last year’s 131 million pound profit to a 35 million pound underlying operating loss. The company attributed a 285 million pound revenue shortfall and a 107 million pound profit hit to the cyberattack, and says it’s targeting 200 million pounds in annual
March 26, 2026
Anglo American Share Price Slides 5% as Chile Copper Approval Rally Fades
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Anglo American Share Price Slides 5% as Chile Copper Approval Rally Fades

Anglo American shares dropped over 5% in London on Thursday, erasing a chunk of Wednesday’s surge that followed Chile’s competition regulator giving the green light to a major copper expansion with Codelco. AJ Bell quoted the stock at 3,010p to sell and 3,012p to buy in delayed trading at 10:57 GMT—down 5.07% from the previous 3,173p close. That comes on the heels of a 3.9% jump the day before. The shift is key: Chile’s ruling strikes right at the core of Anglo’s copper ambitions. The Andina-Los Bronces project should bring in another 120,000 metric tons per year and generate a minimum of $5 billion through boosted production and cost cuts.
March 26, 2026
Capita Shares Jump After £1 Sale of Loss-Making Contact Centre Business to Inspirit
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Capita Shares Jump After £1 Sale of Loss-Making Contact Centre Business to Inspirit

Capita has agreed to offload its private-sector contact centre unit to Inspirit Capital for just £1, the company said Thursday, as it zeroes in on public services and pensions. The division, responsible for customer calls and digital support, gets spun off in the deal. Capita shares surged 13.7% to 273.50 pence at 0950 GMT. Capita’s sale is notable: the unit had stood out as a drag on the business. The company reported a 17.5% drop in contact-centre revenue for 2025 earlier this month and warned the segment would remain in the red into 2026. Shares slumped 15%—their steepest single-day loss since March 2024.
March 26, 2026
Shell Stock Price Slips as Oil Falls on Iran Ceasefire Hopes, but CEO Warns Europe on Fuel Risk
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Shell Stock Price Slips as Oil Falls on Iran Ceasefire Hopes, but CEO Warns Europe on Fuel Risk

Shell stock slipped 0.6% in London Wednesday, tracking lower oil prices after optimism grew over a possible U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Middle East. The company's shares in the U.S. traded at $91.12, with Shell navigating softer crude and renewed concerns about looming European fuel shortages. Shell stands out as a key European stock for investors playing the Middle East energy shock. With the world’s biggest LNG trading operation and deep Qatari connections, Shell offers exposure to rising oil prices—but also leaves investors exposed if gas shipments remain blocked.
March 25, 2026
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