Business 5 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
Amazon layoffs hit robotics unit as fresh job cuts land in warehouse automation
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Amazon layoffs hit robotics unit as fresh job cuts land in warehouse automation

Amazon.com, Inc trimmed headcount in its robotics division this week, confirming staff cuts that impacted at least 100 corporate roles, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation. The layoffs landed in a team responsible for developing warehouse automation technology for the company’s logistics operations. Amazon continues to shrink its corporate workforce, with new cuts following previous layoffs, despite the company’s heavier reliance on automation to speed up and reduce the cost of moving goods. For investors, this is one more sign of just how deep CEO Andy Jassy’s drive for efficiency goes—and which “strategic” bets remain on the table.
March 5, 2026
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Ads Push: Why Trade Desk Talks Have Wall Street Watching
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OpenAI’s ChatGPT Ads Push: Why Trade Desk Talks Have Wall Street Watching

OpenAI has started preliminary talks with ad-tech player The Trade Desk about selling ads on ChatGPT, according to The Information. The move could bring one of the top ad-buying platforms into closer orbit with the surging chatbot. These discussions carry weight—OpenAI is searching for new revenue streams as expenses tied to large AI models continue to rise. The Trade Desk, on the other hand, could use the boost; ad-tech stocks have taken a beating lately, and bright spots have been scarce.
March 5, 2026
Lufthansa plots Kuala Lumpur–Frankfurt nonstop for Oct 2026 with five-weekly 787 flights
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Lufthansa plots Kuala Lumpur–Frankfurt nonstop for Oct 2026 with five-weekly 787 flights

Lufthansa Airlines will launch a nonstop connection between Kuala Lumpur and Frankfurt from Oct. 25, 2026, flying five times a week year-round, the carrier said on Wednesday. It said flights can be booked immediately and the service will use a Boeing 787 fitted with its new Allegris cabin. The route is being lined up for Lufthansa’s winter 2026/27 schedule — the seasonal timetable that starts in late October — as the group looks for growth in Southeast Asia. Lufthansa said it would be the only airline flying nonstop to Malaysia from its home markets including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy.
March 5, 2026
Intel’s 18A rethink: why CEO Lip-Bu Tan may sell the tech outside after all
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Intel’s 18A rethink: why CEO Lip-Bu Tan may sell the tech outside after all

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is weighing whether to make the company’s 18A manufacturing process available to outside clients, reversing last year’s stance that kept the technology focused on Intel’s own chips, CFO David Zinsner said Wednesday. Shares climbed about 6% as chip stocks moved higher. There’s no mistaking the stakes. For Intel, a real turnaround hangs on consistently making cutting-edge chips—and persuading others to trust that production. The foundry strategy, where Intel manufactures chips for outside clients, hinges on one thing: deliver strong yields and ship when promised. Without that, customers stay away.
March 5, 2026
Alibaba puts CEO Eddie Wu in charge of new AI task force after Qwen chief quits
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Alibaba puts CEO Eddie Wu in charge of new AI task force after Qwen chief quits

BEIJING, March 5, 2026, 18:48 Alibaba Group Holding Ltd announced Thursday it’s putting together a new task force to speed up work on foundation models, following the resignation of Qwen AI chief Lin Junyang. According to a staff memo, CEO Eddie Wu, group CTO Wu Zeming, and Alibaba Cloud CTO Zhou Jingren will coordinate the initiative and tap resources from across the company. Zhou stays on as head of Tongyi Laboratory, Alibaba’s AI research shop, and the firm promised in the letter to boost funding for AI projects.
March 5, 2026
AST SpaceMobile stock jumps as Telus takes stake — Canada deal and Africa push in focus
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AST SpaceMobile stock jumps as Telus takes stake — Canada deal and Africa push in focus

AST SpaceMobile Inc surged 13% Wednesday after Telus of Canada agreed to provide satellite-based texting, calls, and data in underserved regions—and said it would take a stake in the U.S. firm. Shares ended at $104.89, with trading volume hitting nearly 20.8 million. The tie-up drops right as mobile operators race to secure “direct-to-device” coverage — satellites linking up with ordinary smartphones when cell towers can’t reach. What was once just a demo is now a real line item in carrier budgets, and investors are rushing into whichever firms they bet can pull it off first.
March 5, 2026
Arista Networks stock jumps 8% as CEO talks $10B revenue year and flags chip crunch
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Arista Networks stock jumps 8% as CEO talks $10B revenue year and flags chip crunch

Arista Networks jumped 8.2% Wednesday, finishing at $134.83. Shares added another 1% in early pre-market moves Thursday. The networking equipment company, based in Santa Clara, California, is now valued around $183 billion. Arista is back under the microscope as investors look for the next round of AI data center spending. Switches and routers—crucial infrastructure—can become choke points; when they falter, big AI clusters lose momentum.
March 5, 2026
Zoom taps PMG as first global media agency of record as it pushes beyond meetings
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Zoom taps PMG as first global media agency of record as it pushes beyond meetings

Zoom Communications has appointed PMG as its inaugural global media agency of record, tasking the independent firm with a wide-ranging remit while Zoom ramps up its marketing push. “We wanted a partner that could help us translate innovation into measurable business impact globally,” said Whitney Magnuson, Zoom’s head of brand strategy and activation. Zoom is looking for an edge, while Microsoft Teams and Alphabet’s Google Meet keep tying their apps into broader workplace suites—leaving standalone platforms scrambling to compete on cost. Only last week, Zoom warned investors that quarterly profit would likely fall short of Wall Street expectations. The company flagged ongoing tough competition and cautious spending by businesses as possible drags on earnings, despite fresh AI tools rolling out.
March 5, 2026
Broadcom stock jumps after CEO flags $100 billion AI chip revenue in 2027, $10 billion buyback
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Broadcom stock jumps after CEO flags $100 billion AI chip revenue in 2027, $10 billion buyback

Broadcom Inc now anticipates annual AI chip revenue topping $100 billion in 2027, with the company also projecting second-quarter revenue that beat Wall Street’s expectations. Shares climbed close to 5% in after-hours trading this Wednesday. “Our visibility in 2027 has dramatically improved,” Chief Executive Hock Tan told analysts during the post-earnings call. The outlook arrives while cloud heavyweights keep funneling cash into data centers for generative AI—fueling appetite for chips, servers, and networking equipment. This year, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta look set to pour a minimum of $630 billion into building out AI infrastructure—a rate that’s squeezing suppliers and favoring companies with serious scale.
March 5, 2026
NatWest ramps up Scotland startup push: RBS Accelerator targets 5,000 entrepreneurs, adds £1m EDGE deal
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NatWest ramps up Scotland startup push: RBS Accelerator targets 5,000 entrepreneurs, adds £1m EDGE deal

Royal Bank of Scotland, part of NatWest Group, is ramping up its Accelerator programme, aiming to reach 5,000 Scottish entrepreneurs this year. The push comes before the bank’s new Edinburgh hub, due to open in 2026. Royal Bank is also committing 1 million pounds to the Scottish EDGE Awards over three years, with 200,000 pounds earmarked for the Scale EDGE prize. “In our tenth anniversary year, we are going to turbocharge our support for Scotland’s entrepreneurs,” said Darren Pirie, head of accelerator and partnerships at the bank. UK banks are looking to land and keep smaller business clients, focusing on more than just offering cheaper loan rates. Getting in front of founders early can pave the way for stickier ties
March 5, 2026
Lloyds tipped as front-runner for Aegon UK business as bidders circle
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Lloyds tipped as front-runner for Aegon UK business as bidders circle

Lloyds Banking Group plc has emerged as the frontrunner after the opening bids for Aegon’s UK arm, according to Financial News, which cited sources close to the talks. Both Phoenix Group and Canada Life have submitted initial proposals too. The business could fetch anywhere from 1 billion to 1.5 billion pounds. Final bids are expected next month, with a decision likely by April. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are on advisory duty. The prospective buyers declined to comment, Financial News noted. The shift is significant—banks are chasing more fee revenue from wealth and pensions, with the tailwind from rising interest rates starting to dissipate. Back in February, NatWest signed off on a £2.7 billion purchase of Evelyn Partners. RBC Capital Markets
March 5, 2026
Unilever PLC’s India unit closes 3.07 billion-rupee Nutritionalab exit in wellness reshuffle
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Unilever PLC’s India unit closes 3.07 billion-rupee Nutritionalab exit in wellness reshuffle

Hindustan Unilever, the Indian arm of Unilever PLC, has wrapped up the sale of its entire stake in Nutritionalab Private Limited, pocketing roughly 3.07 billion Indian rupees, a stock exchange filing dated March 4 shows. The company offloaded its whole 19.8% interest, with the disclosure made under India’s “Regulation 30” rules — a requirement for listed companies to report any material developments. This isn’t a transformative move for the group by itself. What’s at stake: Unilever remains under pressure to show that zeroing in on higher-margin segments can deliver, even as demand wobbles—particularly in major emerging economies.
March 5, 2026
Rolls-Royce buyback rolls on: fresh share purchases and two retired U.S. generals join North America board
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Rolls-Royce buyback rolls on: fresh share purchases and two retired U.S. generals join North America board

On Thursday, Rolls-Royce Holdings reported fresh buybacks from its ongoing £2.3 billion repurchase plan, picking up more shares on March 4 to cancel them. These purchases mark some of the earliest daily disclosures since the company rolled out its 2026 program with last week’s annual results, giving investors a first look at the pace of planned cash returns. Fewer shares from buybacks could push up earnings per share, assuming profits don’t slip.
March 5, 2026
Whitehaven Coal buyback update: 65,440 shares snapped up as dividend date nears
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Whitehaven Coal buyback update: 65,440 shares snapped up as dividend date nears

Whitehaven Coal Limited picked up 65,440 shares on March 3, spending A$534,770, according to a Wednesday filing. The company paid between A$8.05 and A$8.25 per share. Since launching its on-market buyback on Feb. 20, Whitehaven has bought 698,009 shares, with the running total now near A$5.5 million. UBS Securities Australia is overseeing the program, which has a ceiling of A$32 million and is due to finish on June 30. Whitehaven’s steady share buybacks are notable, with the company aiming to keep cash flowing to shareholders despite a hit to earnings from weaker coal prices in the first half of fiscal 2026. For the six months through Dec. 31, the miner logged underlying EBITDA of A$446 million, while net debt climbed
March 5, 2026
DroneShield unlocks 1.3 million new shares as staff options vest — and selling may follow
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DroneShield unlocks 1.3 million new shares as staff options vest — and selling may follow

DroneShield Limited has lodged for quotation of 1,335,000 new fully paid ordinary shares, the company said in an ASX filing, after performance options were exercised. The shares, issued at nil cost, come with no sale restrictions. Management flagged that a number of employees are likely to sell. The filing arrives with investors watching for any shifts in share supply, following a rally in Australian defence-tech stocks. DroneShield was up 8.48% at A$3.64 during the afternoon, tech and health names leading, according to an IG market report.
March 5, 2026
Shareholders hit QBE Insurance Group Limited with fresh climate demands ahead of 2026 AGM
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Shareholders hit QBE Insurance Group Limited with fresh climate demands ahead of 2026 AGM

QBE Insurance Group Ltd said three shareholder resolutions have been put forward for its May 8 annual general meeting. The proposals push for more detail on climate risk and ask the board to review how it governs underwriting for new and expansionary oil and gas projects. One resolution seeks a change to QBE’s constitution to permit advisory shareholder resolutions. Another asks for QBE to spell out how much of its gross written premium — that's before reinsurance — could require withdrawal, reduced exposure, or higher prices as climate risks mount, plus climate-scenario disclosures. The board “welcomes this dialogue” and said it will weigh the resolutions before making voting recommendations, but did not identify the shareholders behind the push. Investors are
March 5, 2026
BHP Group Ltd says Queensland coal returns are zero, shuts Mackay FutureFit Academy
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BHP Group Ltd says Queensland coal returns are zero, shuts Mackay FutureFit Academy

BHP Group Ltd’s coal joint venture told employees in a March 2 email, seen by Platts on March 4, that Queensland operations can’t “compete for investment”—returns are down to zero, the message said, pointing to steep royalties, higher costs, and unstable coal prices. The company is shutting down its FutureFit Academy in Mackay in its current form, planning to consolidate training out in Western Australia instead. Chair Ross McEwan spelled it out: “zero investment into Queensland.” For Queensland Resources Council chief Janette Hewson, coal royalties remain among the sector’s top worries. BHP’s half-year numbers are in: the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance posted an underlying return on capital employed of 0% for the six months to Dec. 31, 2025 — essentially flat
March 5, 2026
Oracle joins White House power pledge for AI data centers as Oracle earnings near
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Oracle joins White House power pledge for AI data centers as Oracle earnings near

Oracle joined heavyweights Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft, and Amazon at the White House on Wednesday, all signing on to a pledge they’re calling the “Ratepayer Protection Pledge.” The aim: prevent new data centers from driving up electricity costs for residential and small business customers. Under the agreement, the companies commit to adding or procuring extra power for their sites and footing the bill for necessary grid upgrades, as lawmakers and communities ramp up pressure on tech expansion leading up to November’s midterm elections. Even so, Jon Gordon, director at Advanced Energy United, flagged a bigger snag: “The real problem is the inability to get generation online fast enough.” Oracle’s announcement comes as the company ramps up spending on cloud infrastructure to
March 5, 2026
Western Digital says AI video boom could lift hard-drive pricing into 2026
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Western Digital says AI video boom could lift hard-drive pricing into 2026

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 4, 2026, 15:35 PST Western Digital has already locked in firm purchase orders from its biggest cloud clients for all of calendar 2026—and some of those deals actually extend out to 2027 and even 2028, according to the company’s chief executive, who cited demand driven by artificial intelligence workloads during an investor update this week. Looking ahead to 2026, finance chief projections call for average selling price per terabyte to rise by a mid- to high-single-digit percentage year over year.
March 5, 2026
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