Finance 19 March 2026 - 20 March 2026

Salesforce Stock Near 52-Week Low as AI Fears Drown Out Agentforce Growth
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Salesforce Stock Near 52-Week Low as AI Fears Drown Out Agentforce Growth

Salesforce shares fell 4.1% to $169.15 midday Thursday, nearing a 52-week low, as software stocks declined despite the company’s record quarterly revenue and expanded buyback. The drop followed news that Anthropic restricted access to its AI model after finding cybersecurity flaws, fueling concerns about software vulnerability. Salesforce’s fiscal 2027 revenue forecast missed Wall Street’s midpoint estimates.
April 9, 2026
Lloyds Banking Group plc Stock Price Today: Why Shares Are Sliding as BoE Hike Bets Build
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Lloyds Banking Group plc Stock Price Today: Why Shares Are Sliding as BoE Hike Bets Build

Lloyds Banking Group shares fell 1.0% to 91.84 pence in London on Friday, extending losses after the Bank of England signaled inflation could rise and rate hikes may come sooner. The FTSE 100 dropped 2.4% Thursday, with banks hit hardest. Lawmakers pressed Lloyds over a March 12 app glitch that exposed some customer transactions. Lloyds posted a 12% profit rise in January and announced a £1.75 billion buyback.
March 20, 2026
National Grid plc Stock Price Falls 2% as Gilt Rout, Jefferies Downgrade Weigh on Shares
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National Grid plc Stock Price Falls 2% as Gilt Rout, Jefferies Downgrade Weigh on Shares

National Grid shares fell 2% to 1,246.5 pence on Friday, extending losses as UK utility stocks dropped amid rising bond yields and rate hike expectations. The FTSE 100 slipped 0.1% after the Bank of England held rates at 3.75% and warned on inflation. Jefferies downgraded National Grid to Hold, citing valuation and higher real rates. SSE and Severn Trent also declined this week.
March 20, 2026
Rolls-Royce Stock Price Today: Shares Hold Near 1,190p as Buyback, UltraFan Funding Offset Market Nerves
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Rolls-Royce Stock Price Today: Shares Hold Near 1,190p as Buyback, UltraFan Funding Offset Market Nerves

Rolls-Royce shares edged up 0.1% to 1,191 pence on Friday, outperforming the FTSE 100’s 0.1% drop. The company said it bought back 2.47 million shares on March 19 as part of a 2.3 billion-pound repurchase. Rolls-Royce also secured €64 million from the EU’s Clean Aviation programme for its UltraFan 30 engine project. Shares remain about 16% below last year’s high.
March 20, 2026
Glencore share price rises as stock shrugs off South Africa smelter warning, coal outlook firms
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Glencore share price rises as stock shrugs off South Africa smelter warning, coal outlook firms

Glencore Plc shares rose 1.08% to 523.8 pence in London on Friday, outperforming the FTSE 100. Its South African ferrochrome unit warned up to 1,500 jobs could be lost if discounted-power talks with Eskom fail by March 31. Morningstar raised Glencore’s fair value estimate 6% to 530 pence this week, citing stronger coal prices. CEO Japie Fullard said current tariff terms were unacceptable.
March 20, 2026
HSBC Share Price Rebounds After 20,000 Job-Cut Report, but AI Push and Middle East Risks Loom
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HSBC Share Price Rebounds After 20,000 Job-Cut Report, but AI Push and Middle East Risks Loom

HSBC shares rose about 1% in London on Friday after a 3.1% drop Thursday, following reports the bank may cut up to 20,000 jobs, or roughly 10% of its workforce. The cuts would align with CEO Georges Elhedery’s restructuring strategy, as investors weigh cost reductions and AI investments against risks from Middle East instability and higher UK rates.
March 20, 2026
BP PLC Stock Price Today: Shares Slip After 52-Week High as Refinery Sale Raises Cost-Cut Goal
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BP PLC Stock Price Today: Shares Slip After 52-Week High as Refinery Sale Raises Cost-Cut Goal

BP shares fell 3% to 565.8 pence in London on Friday after hitting a 52-week high the previous session, as investors reacted to the sale of its Gelsenkirchen refinery in Germany. The deal, expected to close in late 2026, will transfer 1,800 workers to Klesch and cut about $1 billion in operating costs. The sale pushed BP’s disposals past $11 billion toward a $20 billion target. Regulatory approval is still pending.
March 20, 2026
Wesfarmers Stock Holds Near A$74 as Investors Weigh Retail Strength Against Rate Pressure
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Wesfarmers Stock Holds Near A$74 as Investors Weigh Retail Strength Against Rate Pressure

Wesfarmers shares traded near A$73.64 Friday, within a A$73.38-A$74.38 range, as investors assessed resilient Bunnings and Kmart earnings against weaker retail trends. The company posted a 9.3% rise in first-half net profit to A$1.1 billion in February but flagged softer second-half trading. Australia’s recent rate hike and higher fuel prices have raised concerns about discretionary spending. The interim dividend is set for payment on March 31.
March 20, 2026
Evolution Mining Shares Slide as Gold Selloff Deepens, Putting ASX Miner’s March Rally Under Pressure
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Evolution Mining Shares Slide as Gold Selloff Deepens, Putting ASX Miner’s March Rally Under Pressure

Evolution Mining shares fell 7.63% to A$12.08 in Sydney after spot gold dropped 4.3% to $4,612.21 an ounce, its lowest since early February. The decline extends Evolution’s retreat from its March 2 record high of A$17.75. The company last month reported record half-year profit and kept FY26 production guidance unchanged. No new market-sensitive updates have been released in the past two days.
March 20, 2026
Macquarie Group Stock in Focus After $7 Billion Kuwait Pipeline Exit and Fresh Buyback Filing
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Macquarie Group Stock in Focus After $7 Billion Kuwait Pipeline Exit and Fresh Buyback Filing

Macquarie Group withdrew from a bid for Kuwait’s oil pipeline network worth up to $7 billion, citing conflict-related uncertainty, according to sources. Shares closed Thursday at A$196.09, down 0.65%. The company extended its on-market buyback and will raise home-loan and deposit rates by 25 basis points from April 2. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation continues to seek offers despite force majeure and production cuts.
March 20, 2026
CSL stock price sinks despite buyback as pressure builds on Australian biotech
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CSL stock price sinks despite buyback as pressure builds on Australian biotech

CSL shares closed at A$134.62 on Thursday, down 2.45%, despite ongoing buybacks, with the stock now more than 43% below last year’s level. The decline follows an 81% drop in first-half profit and CEO Paul McKenzie's abrupt exit in February. CSL’s buyback program allows up to US$750 million in repurchases through June 2026. The ASX 200 fell 1.65% Thursday, but CSL dropped further.
March 20, 2026
Westpac Banking Corporation Stock Price Falls 1% as ASX Slides, RBA Rate Hike Keeps Margin Debate Alive
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Westpac Banking Corporation Stock Price Falls 1% as ASX Slides, RBA Rate Hike Keeps Margin Debate Alive

Westpac shares fell 0.96% to A$41.13 Thursday as the S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.65% amid an oil shock and rate hike fears. The Reserve Bank of Australia raised its cash rate to 4.1% this week, prompting Westpac to lift home and business lending rates from March 31. February jobs data showed employment up but unemployment rising to 4.3%. Westpac’s interim results are due May 5.
March 20, 2026
Woodside Energy share price jumps 7% as oil shock and CEO reset lift WDS stock
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Woodside Energy share price jumps 7% as oil shock and CEO reset lift WDS stock

Woodside Energy shares jumped 7.2% to A$33.70 on Thursday as oil and gas prices surged following Middle East strikes and damage to Qatar’s LNG export capacity. New CEO Liz Westcott called Louisiana LNG a “key priority” as the company faces a year of major project milestones and possible output decline. Brent crude settled at $108.65 after touching $119.13. Former Anglo American chief Mark Cutifani joined Woodside’s board.
March 19, 2026
Prudential Boosts Buybacks After 12% New Business Profit Rise, Eyes More Cash Returns
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Prudential Boosts Buybacks After 12% New Business Profit Rise, Eyes More Cash Returns

Prudential PLC launched a $1.2 billion share buyback for 2026 after 2025 new business profit rose 12% to $2.78 billion, driven by sales growth in Hong Kong, China, and Indonesia. The insurer expects total shareholder returns to top $7 billion from 2024 to 2027. Operating free surplus generation climbed 15% to $3.06 billion. Prudential shares fell 2% after results.
March 19, 2026
BAE Systems Share Price Today: Why the Stock Slipped After Air Astana Exit
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BAE Systems Share Price Today: Why the Stock Slipped After Air Astana Exit

BAE Systems sold its remaining 6.9% stake in Air Astana for about $31 million, completing its exit from the airline. Shares closed at 2,306 pence, down 1%, while the FTSE 100 dropped 2.4% after the Bank of England held rates. BAE announced new U.S. defense contracts and a counter-drone system this week. The company reported 2025 sales of £30.66 billion and a record £83.6 billion order backlog.
March 19, 2026
GSK Stock Price Today: Shares Rise After FDA Approval of Lynavoy for Rare Liver-Disease Itch
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GSK Stock Price Today: Shares Rise After FDA Approval of Lynavoy for Rare Liver-Disease Itch

GSK shares rose 0.6% after the FDA approved Lynavoy, the first U.S. drug specifically for severe itching in primary biliary cholangitis. Alfasigma agreed to pay GSK $300 million upfront for global rights to the drug, plus $100 million more on U.S. approval. GSK and Alfasigma have not disclosed launch pricing or availability. Lynavoy approval follows recent regulatory wins for GSK.
March 19, 2026
Beazley Plc Share Price Drops 2% After Dividend Reset, but Zurich Bid Gap Stays Tight
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Beazley Plc Share Price Drops 2% After Dividend Reset, but Zurich Bid Gap Stays Tight

Beazley shares fell 2% Thursday as the stock traded ex-dividend, closing at 1,265p after Zurich Insurance’s 1,335p takeover offer was adjusted for a 25p payout. The 8.1 billion pound deal, announced March 2, gives Beazley holders 1,310p cash plus the 25p dividend. Regulatory approvals are pending, with a shareholder vote expected in April. The dividend will be paid May 1 to shareholders on the register March 20.
March 19, 2026
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