Finance 31 March 2026 - 2 April 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
Australia Stock Market Today: ASX 200 Falls 1.1% as Iran War Fears Hit Shares Before Easter Break
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Australia Stock Market Today: ASX 200 Falls 1.1% as Iran War Fears Hit Shares Before Easter Break

Australian shares fell 1.1% Thursday, their steepest drop since March, after U.S. President Trump signaled more strikes on Iran with no end date for the war. Miners led losses as Rio Tinto dropped 3.3% and BHP 2.5%. The Australian dollar slid 0.6% to $0.6882. Prime Minister Albanese announced up to A$1 billion in interest-free loans for critical businesses as fuel market disruptions deepen.
April 2, 2026
Centrica plc AGM 2026: British Gas owner seeks fresh buyback authority as 3.67p dividend vote looms
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Centrica plc AGM 2026: British Gas owner seeks fresh buyback authority as 3.67p dividend vote looms

Centrica will seek shareholder approval on May 7 to renew authority to buy back up to 460.5 million shares and approve a 3.67-pence final dividend. The company paused buybacks in February after reporting a 39% drop in annual core profit. The proposed repurchase covers about a tenth of Centrica’s voting shares. If approved, the final dividend will be paid May 14 to investors on the register as of April 10.
April 2, 2026
NatWest Group Plc Deepens Sainsbury’s Pact With Nectar Card, Savings and Loans
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NatWest Group Plc Deepens Sainsbury’s Pact With Nectar Card, Savings and Loans

NatWest Group and Sainsbury’s agreed to launch savings accounts, personal loans, and a Nectar-linked credit card for Sainsbury’s customers, following NatWest’s 2025 acquisition of the grocer’s banking books. The new products will roll out in the second half of 2026. NatWest’s Boxed platform will power the services. The move extends NatWest’s embedded finance strategy amid pressure on interest income.
April 2, 2026
Lloyds Banking Group plc Keeps £1.95 Billion Motor Finance Provision After FCA Final Rules
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Lloyds Banking Group plc Keeps £1.95 Billion Motor Finance Provision After FCA Final Rules

Lloyds Banking Group will keep its £1.95 billion provision for motor finance compensation unchanged after reviewing the UK regulator’s final rules. The Financial Conduct Authority’s redress scheme covers about 12.1 million agreements, with total industry costs estimated at £9.1 billion. Lloyds will update investors again on April 29. Barclays and Close Brothers have set aside £325 million and £300 million, respectively.
April 2, 2026
HSBC Holdings Plc CEO says 100-plus AI use cases are live as overhaul deepens
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HSBC Holdings Plc CEO says 100-plus AI use cases are live as overhaul deepens

HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery said over 100 generative AI applications are in use, with half already live and 170,000 staff using new productivity tools. David Rice became HSBC’s first chief AI officer on April 1. The bank aims for a 17%+ return on tangible equity by 2026–2028, despite pretax profit for 2025 falling to $29.9 billion after one-off charges. HSBC is also reviewing potential job cuts and selling its Singapore life insurance unit.
April 2, 2026
UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 02.04.2026
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UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 02.04.2026

LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: April 2, 2026, 12:00 AM EDTUpdated: April 2, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT Fitch Upgrades British American Tobacco to A-, Highlighting Debt and Valuation April 2, 2026, 11:55 PM EDT. Fitch Ratings raised British American Tobacco's (LSE:BATS) long-term issuer rating to A-, signaling stronger creditworthiness and financial stability. This upgrade may reduce the company's borrowing costs and influence investor perception of its balance sheet resilience amid sizable debt used for operations and acquisitions. Despite the improved rating, Simply Wall St warns of ongoing balance sheet risks due to debt coverage concerns. The share price sits 4% below analyst
April 2, 2026
London Stock Exchange Group Turns to Dell for Private Cloud as AI Strategy Faces Investor Test
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London Stock Exchange Group Turns to Dell for Private Cloud as AI Strategy Faces Investor Test

London Stock Exchange Group announced a multi-year deal with Dell Technologies to build a private cloud platform and upgrade internal infrastructure. The agreement expands LSEG’s multi-cloud strategy beyond its current public-cloud systems. The move comes as LSEG faces investor pressure to show that cloud and AI investments can deliver stronger growth and margins. Dell will provide servers, storage, and automation software for the new platform.
April 1, 2026
NatWest Group Plc strikes new Sainsbury’s Nectar banking deal with savings, loans and card
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NatWest Group Plc strikes new Sainsbury’s Nectar banking deal with savings, loans and card

NatWest Group and Sainsbury’s will launch new financial products for Sainsbury’s customers, including instant-access savings, unsecured loans, and a NatWest Nectar credit card, starting in the second half of 2026. The move follows NatWest’s 2025 acquisition of Sainsbury’s Bank’s core portfolios and will offer Nectar-linked benefits through Sainsbury’s digital channels using NatWest Boxed.
April 1, 2026
Lloyds Banking Group Faces Fresh Provision Test After FCA Finalises UK Motor Finance Redress
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Lloyds Banking Group Faces Fresh Provision Test After FCA Finalises UK Motor Finance Redress

Lloyds Banking Group is reviewing the UK regulator’s final motor finance redress scheme, which covers 12.1 million agreements and could return £7.5 billion to customers. Lloyds’ provision for motor finance costs stands at £1.95 billion. The FCA set deadlines of June 30 and August 31 for firms to prepare for claims. Lloyds shares rose 1.3% after analysts said the scheme may not require major changes to its provision.
April 1, 2026
Rio Tinto Refreshes $10 Billion Debt Programme as Copper and Lithium Spending Builds
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Rio Tinto Refreshes $10 Billion Debt Programme as Copper and Lithium Spending Builds

Rio Tinto published an updated prospectus for its $10 billion Euro Medium Term Note programme, approved by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, as it seeks funding for copper and lithium expansion amid cyclone-hit Pilbara iron ore shipments. Net debt rose to $14.36 billion in 2025, while free cash flow fell 28%. Rio recently secured $1.175 billion for its Rincon lithium project and launched a $500 million drilling campaign at Resolution Copper.
April 1, 2026
Barclays PLC buyback tops 105 million shares as fresh risks test £15 billion return plan
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Barclays PLC buyback tops 105 million shares as fresh risks test £15 billion return plan

Barclays said it has repurchased 105.5 million shares since Feb. 10 as part of a £1 billion buyback, reducing its voting share capital to 13.73 billion shares at March-end. The move follows a 5.6 pence dividend payout and comes as the bank faces risks from UK car-finance compensation costs and private credit shortfalls. Barclays shares rose up to 4.1% on Wednesday amid sector gains.
April 1, 2026
Unilever PLC’s $65 Billion McCormick Deal Draws Union Warning, Splits Investors
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Unilever PLC’s $65 Billion McCormick Deal Draws Union Warning, Splits Investors

Unilever said it will merge its food business with McCormick in a $65 billion deal, shifting brands like Knorr and Hellmann’s into a new company and narrowing its focus to household and personal care. Unilever shares fell 7% after the news, while McCormick dropped 5%. The deal, using a Reverse Morris Trust, is expected to close by mid-2027. Unilever’s European Works Council warned of possible strikes over job uncertainty.
April 1, 2026
HSBC appoints new China wealth chiefs as mainland growth push gathers pace
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HSBC appoints new China wealth chiefs as mainland growth push gathers pace

HSBC named Max Xu to lead International Wealth and Premier Banking in China and Samuel Chen as China private bank head, both effective April 1. Wealth invested assets in mainland China rose 37% in 2025, but HSBC’s mainland pretax profit fell 66% last year. The bank is weighing cuts affecting up to 20,000 roles and named its first Chief AI Officer last week. HSBC’s market value briefly topped $300 billion in January.
April 1, 2026
BP PLC CEO Meg O’Neill Promises Consistency as Debt Reset Faces First Test (Reuters)
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BP PLC CEO Meg O’Neill Promises Consistency as Debt Reset Faces First Test (Reuters)

Meg O’Neill, BP’s first external and first female CEO, pledged “clear direction and consistency” as she took over, promising continuity in oil and gas. BP halted share buybacks in February to cut debt and fund projects, with net debt at $22 billion and next results due April 28. O’Neill inherits a weaker balance sheet than rivals. Asset sales have reached $11 billion toward a $20 billion target by 2027.
April 1, 2026
Westpac Banking Corporation Warns RBA Could Hike Three More Times, Cash Rate Seen at 4.85%
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Westpac Banking Corporation Warns RBA Could Hike Three More Times, Cash Rate Seen at 4.85%

Westpac expects the Reserve Bank of Australia to raise the cash rate three more times this year, reaching 4.85% by August, citing inflation from Middle East fuel disruptions. The bank’s customers began paying higher mortgage rates from March 31 after Westpac passed on the RBA’s last increase. Peers NAB and ANZ forecast fewer hikes. Markets remain cautious, with traders pricing in a lower chance of further rises.
April 1, 2026
UK Mortgage Rates Jump, Homebuyers Retreat as Iran War Threatens House Price Rebound
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UK Mortgage Rates Jump, Homebuyers Retreat as Iran War Threatens House Price Rebound

UK house prices rose 0.9% in March, the biggest monthly gain since December 2024, according to Nationwide, lifting the average to £277,186. Mortgage rates jumped, with average two- and five-year fixes above 5.3%, and buyer enquiries in March fell 13% from a year earlier, Zoopla said. Regional price growth varied sharply, with Northern Ireland up 9.5% and East Anglia down.
April 1, 2026
American Express Replaces Visa as NFL Payments Partner, Leaves XRP Speculation Behind
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American Express Replaces Visa as NFL Payments Partner, Leaves XRP Speculation Behind

American Express will replace Visa as the NFL’s official payments partner starting with the 2026 season under a multi-year global deal announced Monday. AmEx cardholders gain access to ticket presales, promotions, and on-site experiences at select NFL events, including international games. Visa’s league-wide sponsorship expired this month after nearly 30 years. Terms of the new agreement were not disclosed.
April 1, 2026
BHP Group Ltd shares jump 5% as China PMI surprise lifts miners (Reuters)
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BHP Group Ltd shares jump 5% as China PMI surprise lifts miners (Reuters)

BHP Group’s U.S. shares rose 5.4% to $72.74 Tuesday after Chinese factory data showed the fastest expansion in a year, lifting mining stocks. China’s official PMI climbed to 50.4 in March, beating forecasts. Iron ore futures stayed near $106 a ton as traders balanced stronger steel demand with high inventories and energy costs. BHP faces an operational review April 22 amid ongoing pressure from Chinese import restrictions.
March 31, 2026
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