Business 14 May 2026 - 15 May 2026

Sage Group plc’s AI Leadership Shake-Up Lands Days Before Results—Why Investors Are Watching
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Sage Group plc’s AI Leadership Shake-Up Lands Days Before Results—Why Investors Are Watching

Sage Group appointed Krish Vitaldevara as chief product officer and Anand Swaminathan as chief strategy officer, both based in San Jose, ahead of interim results due May 21. Shares rose 0.5% to 859.2 pence. North America led first-quarter growth, with revenue up 13% to £304 million. The hires come as Sage expands AI offerings and faces competition from Xero and Intuit.
May 15, 2026
Legal & General Takeover Buzz Jolts FTSE 100 Stock As CEO Says No Sale Is On The Table
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Legal & General Takeover Buzz Jolts FTSE 100 Stock As CEO Says No Sale Is On The Table

Legal & General shares dipped 0.27% to 263.10p in London Friday after surging 6.16% Thursday on takeover speculation, despite CEO António Simões denying any sale talks. The company’s market value stood at about £14.56 billion. L&G reported 2025 core operating profit up 6% to £1.62 billion and £11.8 billion in global pension risk transfer volumes. Competition has increased after Brookfield and Athora completed major UK insurance acquisitions.
May 15, 2026
BP PLC Weighs Egypt Gas Asset Sale as New CEO’s Debt Push Gets Real
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BP PLC Weighs Egypt Gas Asset Sale as New CEO’s Debt Push Gets Real

BP is considering selling some natural gas assets in Egypt, sources told Reuters, as new CEO Meg O’Neill pursues debt reduction and a sharper focus on high-return projects. BP’s gas output in Egypt dropped 40% last year, while the company’s net debt rose to $25.3 billion despite a first-quarter profit of $3.2 billion. No final decision has been made on the Egypt assets, BP said.
May 15, 2026
Rio Tinto PLC Makes BP Legal Hire as Shares Slide From 52-Week High
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Rio Tinto PLC Makes BP Legal Hire as Shares Slide From 52-Week High

Rio Tinto has appointed BP executive Trudi Charles as chief legal officer, replacing Isabelle Deschamps effective August 1. The move comes as Rio’s London shares fell to 7,831 pence, down from a recent high, amid volatile markets and shifting focus to copper projects. Charles has over 20 years at BP. Rio is also considering increasing its stake in Argentina’s Los Azules copper project.
May 15, 2026
Intertek Takeover: EQT’s £9.4 Billion Bid Moves Closer After Board U-Turn
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Intertek Takeover: EQT’s £9.4 Billion Bid Moves Closer After Board U-Turn

Intertek’s board said it is prepared to recommend EQT’s £60-a-share cash proposal, valuing the UK testing group at £9.4 billion, and has opened its books for due diligence. The UK Takeover Panel extended EQT’s deadline to make a firm offer to June 11. Intertek paused its strategic review and cited investor pressure for the move. Shares closed at £56.75, below the offer price, reflecting remaining deal uncertainty.
May 15, 2026
BAT’s Velo Bet Faces a Fresh WHO Warning After Shares Hit a 52-Week High
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BAT’s Velo Bet Faces a Fresh WHO Warning After Shares Hit a 52-Week High

The World Health Organization on Friday called for tighter controls on nicotine pouches, citing risks to youth, just after British American Tobacco shares hit a 52-week high. BAT stock climbed 3.22% Thursday, then slipped 1.67% Friday morning. The U.S. FDA this week eased enforcement on some nicotine products, boosting tobacco shares. WHO said about 160 countries lack specific regulations for pouches.
May 15, 2026
Unilever’s McCormick Deal Gets Awkward After Terry Smith Walks Away
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Unilever’s McCormick Deal Gets Awkward After Terry Smith Walks Away

Fundsmith, led by Terry Smith, has sold its entire Unilever stake, citing concerns over the company’s planned $44.8 billion food business merger with McCormick. Unilever shareholders approved all AGM resolutions, including Nelson Peltz’s re-election, but will not vote on the McCormick deal. Unilever shares rose 0.18% in London morning trade. The transaction is expected to close by mid-2027, pending approvals.
May 15, 2026
Reckitt Benckiser’s AI Push Faces a Bigger Test After Dettol Maker’s Growth Miss
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Reckitt Benckiser’s AI Push Faces a Bigger Test After Dettol Maker’s Growth Miss

Reckitt Benckiser highlighted its use of digital science and generative AI to speed product development and boost innovation across brands like Dettol and Durex. The move follows a missed quarterly revenue forecast and a warning of lower first-half margins due to high oil prices and weak demand. Shares traded at 4,558p early Friday, near a year low. Over 2,000 staff have been trained on the new tools, now used in more than 20 countries.
May 15, 2026
REA Group Buyback Faces a Hard Test After Shares Slide 5.7%
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REA Group Buyback Faces a Hard Test After Shares Slide 5.7%

REA Group bought back 33,457 shares for A$5.74 million Wednesday, bringing total buybacks to 554,112 shares worth about A$89.6 million. REA shares closed Thursday at A$161.24, down 5.7%. April new buy listings on realestate.com.au rose 19.4% year-on-year, while total listings fell 5.3%. The Reserve Bank of Australia raised rates to 4.35% on May 5.
May 15, 2026
Northern Star Resources Stock Slips as Cyber Outage Delays Supplier Payments
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Northern Star Resources Stock Slips as Cyber Outage Delays Supplier Payments

Northern Star Resources expects supplier payments to be delayed until May 21 after a cyber incident took part of its ERP system offline. Shares fell 2.36% to A$21.13, underperforming peers, as the company shifted to manual procurement processes. Northern Star said backups were intact and no supplier data had been compromised. The KCGM mill expansion remains on track for early FY27 commissioning.
May 14, 2026
Telstra Buyback Nears A$1.25 Billion Cap as Mobile Price Rises Face Their First Test
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Telstra Buyback Nears A$1.25 Billion Cap as Mobile Price Rises Face Their First Test

Telstra bought 1.14 million shares for A$6.05 million on May 14, moving within A$140 million of its A$1.25 billion buyback cap, a market filing showed. The program, set to end June 30, has covered about 219.38 million shares so far. Telstra raised most mobile plan prices this month, intensifying competition with Optus and TPG. The company reported A$1.1 billion half-year profit in February, up 9%.
May 14, 2026
Goodman Group’s Data Centre Bet Faces a Crucial May Test as ASX:GMG Shares Rise
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Goodman Group’s Data Centre Bet Faces a Crucial May Test as ASX:GMG Shares Rise

Goodman Group shares closed at A$31.40 Thursday, up 0.32% after a 1.39% rise Wednesday, as investors focused on its data-centre pipeline ahead of a Q3 FY26 update due May 26. Data centres accounted for 73% of its A$14.4 billion work in progress in February. The S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.12% Thursday, while the RBA cash rate stands at 4.35%. Goodman reported first-half operating profit of A$1.20 billion.
May 14, 2026
Wesfarmers Limited Just Put ASX:WES Investors on Notice: Bunnings, Kmart and Rates Are the Test
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Wesfarmers Limited Just Put ASX:WES Investors on Notice: Bunnings, Kmart and Rates Are the Test

Wesfarmers will hold its Strategy Briefing Day in Sydney on June 10, with presentation materials set for release before an 8:30 a.m. AEST webcast. Shares closed at A$71.73 on May 14, near recent lows, as the Reserve Bank of Australia’s rate hike to 4.35% dampens hopes for retail relief. February’s half-year net profit rose 9.3% to A$1.603 billion, but shares fell after the result missed trading expectations.
May 14, 2026
Fortescue Ltd’s A$150 Million Hit Isn’t Over: Yindjibarndi Weighs Appeal
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Fortescue Ltd’s A$150 Million Hit Isn’t Over: Yindjibarndi Weighs Appeal

A Federal Court ordered Fortescue to pay A$150 million to Yindjibarndi traditional owners for cultural loss tied to its Solomon Hub iron ore mine. Yindjibarndi leaders are considering an appeal after the court rejected their royalties-based economic claim. Fortescue said it accepts compensation is owed and could pay quickly. The case is Australia’s largest native title compensation award to date.
May 14, 2026
BHP’s Incoming CEO Opens Door to Copper Deals as Shares Hit Record
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BHP’s Incoming CEO Opens Door to Copper Deals as Shares Hit Record

BHP incoming CEO Brandon Craig said the miner will pursue smaller acquisitions and partnerships to drive growth beyond 2035. BHP shares hit record highs this week, buoyed by copper exposure, closing at A$62.06 in Australia. China’s port stocks of BHP’s Jimblebar iron ore dropped 3.1% after Beijing lifted purchase curbs, but inventories remain elevated. Former BlueScope CEO Mark Vassella joins BHP’s board June 1.
May 14, 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • UK Proposes Single Market for Goods with EU, Faces Brussels Rejection
    May 23, 2026, 4:45 AM EDT. The UK government has proposed forming a single market for goods with the European Union, aiming to reshape post-Brexit trade relations. British media report that the EU has rejected this ambitious reset, maintaining its current stance. The move reflects London's push for smoother trade in goods but faces resistance from Brussels, which seeks to preserve its regulatory standards and external borders.