Business 13 May 2026 - 14 May 2026

Diageo PLC Gets an India Profit Boost as Premium Drinks Outrun U.S. Weakness
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Diageo PLC Gets an India Profit Boost as Premium Drinks Outrun U.S. Weakness

United Spirits, Diageo’s Indian unit, posted a 28% rise in March-quarter consolidated profit to 5.39 billion rupees, with revenue at 68.55 billion rupees. The board recommended a final dividend of 11 rupees per share. Growth in higher-priced drinks offset some local policy pressures. Diageo’s North American sales fell 9.4% in the third quarter, contrasting with India’s gains.
May 14, 2026
IAG Just Cleaned Up €822 Million of Debt — But Fuel Costs Are Still the Real Story
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IAG Just Cleaned Up €822 Million of Debt — But Fuel Costs Are Still the Real Story

International Consolidated Airlines Group repurchased €821.7 million of its 2028 convertible bonds, canceling 99.6% of the issue. The move follows a profit warning tied to rising jet-fuel costs and supply disruption from the Iran conflict. IAG shares fell 1% to 387.20 pence. The company reported a first-quarter operating profit of €351 million and net leverage at 0.5 times EBITDA.
May 14, 2026
Tesco PLC’s Equal Pay Fight Just Got Harder After Court Ruling
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Tesco PLC’s Equal Pay Fight Just Got Harder After Court Ruling

Tesco Stores lost most grounds in a Court of Appeal challenge over evidence in its equal pay litigation, with only one appeal point upheld. The court allowed employment tribunals to use Tesco’s own documents to assess job demands. Tesco faces about 62,000 equal pay claims from store staff and says any liability could be material but remains uncertain. The underlying case continues at a separate tribunal.
May 14, 2026
Shell Plc Reveals $23.8 Billion Government Payments Before AGM Climate Vote
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Shell Plc Reveals $23.8 Billion Government Payments Before AGM Climate Vote

Shell reported $23.84 billion in 2025 payments to governments for oil, gas, and mineral extraction, with Brazil, Oman, and Norway receiving the most. The disclosure comes five days before Shell’s annual meeting, where investors will vote on a climate resolution. The report excludes refining and joint ventures. Shell’s effective tax rate was 39% for 2025, nearly double the OECD average.
May 14, 2026
BP Stock News: Uzbekistan Oil Deal Deepens Pivot as Whiting Labor Talks Loom
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BP Stock News: Uzbekistan Oil Deal Deepens Pivot as Whiting Labor Talks Loom

BP acquired a 40% stake in six oil and gas exploration blocks in Uzbekistan’s North Ustyurt region, marking its first project in the country. SOCAR and Uzbekneftegaz each retain 30%, with SOCAR as operator. No purchase price or drilling timeline was disclosed. The deal comes as BP reorganizes under new CEO Meg O’Neill and faces investor scrutiny over debt and suspended buybacks.
May 14, 2026
Aviva Q1 Update: Premiums Jump 19% as Direct Line Deal Starts to Feed Through
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Aviva Q1 Update: Premiums Jump 19% as Direct Line Deal Starts to Feed Through

Aviva reported a 19% rise in first-quarter general insurance premiums to £3.4 billion after acquiring Direct Line, with UK and Ireland personal lines up 59%. Wealth net flows jumped 49% to £3.3 billion, but retirement sales dropped to £1.1 billion from £1.8 billion as bulk annuity volumes fell. The combined operating ratio improved to 94.1%. Aviva maintained its 2026 financial targets.
May 14, 2026
RELX Stock Rebounds as AI Pressure Puts Its Risk Data Moat on Trial
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RELX Stock Rebounds as AI Pressure Puts Its Risk Data Moat on Trial

RELX shares rose 2.25% to 2,385.50 pence by midday Thursday, partially recovering from a 4.97% drop the previous day. The rebound followed a May 13 investor seminar highlighting the company’s Risk Business Services and AI-driven fraud and identity tools. Anthropic’s expanded Claude legal AI tools continue to pressure RELX and peers. RELX’s Risk unit generated £3.5 billion revenue in 2025, with fraud and identity its largest segment.
May 14, 2026
Reckitt Benckiser’s AI Investor Day Has a Catch: No New Trading Update
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Reckitt Benckiser’s AI Investor Day Has a Catch: No New Trading Update

Reckitt Benckiser will outline its use of digital science and generative AI in R&D at a streamed investor seminar Thursday, but will not provide new financial disclosures. Shares rose 1.04% to 4,564p ahead of the event. The company recently bought back 208,000 shares, now holding 638,967,290 voting rights. Unilever’s recent AI advances set a competitive benchmark for Reckitt’s digital efforts.
May 14, 2026
Legal & General Shares Jump As CEO Rules Out Sale: L&G Takeover Talk Explained
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Legal & General Shares Jump As CEO Rules Out Sale: L&G Takeover Talk Explained

Legal & General shares jumped nearly 5% Thursday after CEO António Simões said the insurer was not considering a sale or break-up, despite interest from North American private capital groups. The stock was set for its biggest one-day rise since December 2024. Simões, CEO since 2024, has pledged to simplify the group and expand in asset management, while L&G reported 2025 core operating profit up 6% to £1.62 billion.
May 14, 2026
Northern Star Resources Cyber Outage Delays Payments as KCGM Expansion Nears Key Stage
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Northern Star Resources Cyber Outage Delays Payments as KCGM Expansion Nears Key Stage

Northern Star Resources said part of its ERP system remains offline after a cyber incident at a service provider, forcing manual procurement and delaying supplier payments until at least May 21. The company reported no evidence of supplier data compromise and said its U.S. Pogo mine was unaffected. Shares closed 1.03% higher at A$21.64 on May 13. Gold prices fell 0.6% to $4,686.35 an ounce amid U.S. rate uncertainty.
May 14, 2026
Why CAR Group’s Shareholder Shake-Up Is Suddenly in Focus
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Why CAR Group’s Shareholder Shake-Up Is Suddenly in Focus

CAR Group said First Sentier and related Mitsubishi UFJ entities are no longer substantial holders, according to an ASX notice posted May 13. The filing follows First Sentier’s recent disclosure of a 5.16% stake and MUFG’s earlier notice of 5.14% voting power. CAR shares closed at A$26.91, up 3.42%, on volume of 3.46 million. The company’s operating outlook and guidance remain unchanged.
May 13, 2026
CSL Limited’s $5 Billion Write-Down Leaves One Big Question: Is the Turnaround Still Alive?
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CSL Limited’s $5 Billion Write-Down Leaves One Big Question: Is the Turnaround Still Alive?

CSL Limited warned of about US$5 billion in new non-cash impairments and cut its FY26 outlook, sending shares down 16% Monday to their lowest since January 2017 before rebounding slightly. The company now expects FY26 revenue of US$15.2 billion and NPATA of US$3.1 billion. Impairments will be booked across FY26 and FY27, mainly tied to the Vifor acquisition and under-used assets.
May 13, 2026
BHP Group Stock Jumps as Incoming CEO Signals Copper Deal Push
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BHP Group Stock Jumps as Incoming CEO Signals Copper Deal Push

BHP’s incoming CEO Brandon Craig said the company will consider smaller acquisitions and partnerships, with copper as a long-term focus. Craig takes over July 1 as copper prices hit record highs. BHP also appointed former BlueScope Steel chief Mark Vassella to its board, effective June 1. BHP shares rose in Sydney, London, and New York.
May 13, 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • ASX ETFs to watch in undervalued healthcare, technology, and real estate sectors
    May 22, 2026, 7:46 PM EDT. ASX ETFs focused on healthcare, technology, and real estate are emerging as strategic buys amid sector downturns in 2026. The S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index declined about 30%, pressured by rising interest rates and investor shift away from growth stocks. Global healthcare ETFs like BetaShares DRUG and iShares IXJ offer international exposure. The tech sector dropped nearly 20%, reflecting concerns over AI disrupting software business models; Betashares ATEC is a key ASX tech ETF. Real estate shares also fell near 10%, affected by higher interest and bond yields, with VanEck options available. These thematic ETFs provide targeted access to undervalued sectors, aligning with long-term, diversified investment strategies during market corrections.