Finance 2 May 2026 - 3 May 2026

Mineral Resources’ $765 Million POSCO Lithium Deal Hits the Real Test: Approvals and Debt
···

Mineral Resources’ $765 Million POSCO Lithium Deal Hits the Real Test: Approvals and Debt

Mineral Resources Ltd has signed agreements to sell 30% of its new lithium joint venture to POSCO Holdings for US$765 million, moving the deal into the approvals stage. Proceeds are expected to redeem US$750 million in bonds and cut annual finance costs by about A$150 million. MinRes lifted FY26 volume guidance and reported a net debt drop to A$4.5 billion. The transaction is not yet closed and remains subject to approvals.
May 3, 2026
Woolworths Group Ltd’s 300-Item Price Freeze Is Here — Investors Now Face Profit and Court Risk
···

Woolworths Group Ltd’s 300-Item Price Freeze Is Here — Investors Now Face Profit and Court Risk

Woolworths shares fell nearly 10% last week after the company cut its domestic food earnings outlook and announced a three-month price freeze on 300 staple products. Third-quarter group sales rose 4.5% to A$18.1 billion, but profit margins are under pressure. The company awaits a Federal Court ruling on allegations it misled shoppers with “Prices Dropped” promotions. Woolworths denies the claims.
May 3, 2026
Nationwide £100 Fairer Share Update: 64,527 Net Switches Put 2026 Payout In Focus
···

Nationwide £100 Fairer Share Update: 64,527 Net Switches Put 2026 Payout In Focus

Nationwide Building Society led UK current-account switching in late 2025, with net gains of 64,527 accounts, according to official data. The company has not confirmed if it will repeat its £100 Fairer Share payment for eligible members in 2026. Nationwide says more than 4 million members received the payment in 2025. Account switching rose 43% year-on-year in the first quarter, CASS reported.
May 3, 2026
Westpac Banking Corporation Earnings Preview: Why May 5 Could Move ASX Bank Stocks
···

Westpac Banking Corporation Earnings Preview: Why May 5 Could Move ASX Bank Stocks

Westpac will report first-half results Tuesday as the Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to raise its cash rate to 4.35%. The bank said lending rose 4%, deposits 3%, and its credit impairment charge will be 10 basis points of average gross loans. The pending RAMS mortgage sale will cut net profit after tax by A$75 million. Westpac shares last closed at A$38.45, down from A$42.59 in April.
May 3, 2026
National Australia Bank Results Preview: NAB Shares Face Monday Test as RBA Hike Looms
····

National Australia Bank Results Preview: NAB Shares Face Monday Test as RBA Hike Looms

National Australia Bank expects first-half credit impairment charges to rise to A$706 million, roughly double a year earlier, and will take a A$1.347 billion pre-tax software write-down. NAB will apply a 1.5% discount to its dividend reinvestment plan to raise up to A$1.8 billion. The bank reports results Monday, a day before the Reserve Bank of Australia is widely expected to lift rates to 4.35%.
May 3, 2026
Macquarie’s Mortgage Surge Before Results: Why Australia’s Big Banks Are Watching
···

Macquarie’s Mortgage Surge Before Results: Why Australia’s Big Banks Are Watching

Macquarie Bank added A$3.6 billion in household mortgages in March, the fastest monthly gain among Australian deposit-taking lenders, lifting its book to A$173.7 billion, according to APRA data. The increase comes days before parent Macquarie Group reports full-year results on May 8. Australia’s total mortgage market reached A$2.46 trillion in March despite higher interest rates and new lending caps.
May 3, 2026
ANZ Profit Jump Masks a Tougher Test as Shares Slide After Half-Year Results
···

ANZ Profit Jump Masks a Tougher Test as Shares Slide After Half-Year Results

ANZ Group Holdings posted a first-half cash profit of A$3.78 billion and kept its interim dividend at 83 cents a share, with franking raised to 75%. Shares fell 2.84% to A$35.61 despite a 14% rise in cash profit and a 22% drop in operating expenses. Investors focused on credit risk and an unfinished overhaul. ANZ took a A$126 million collective provision charge, including A$175 million for Middle East conflict exposure.
May 3, 2026
Meta Stock Falls as Zuckerberg’s $145 Billion AI Spending Plan Tests Wall Street
····

Meta Stock Falls as Zuckerberg’s $145 Billion AI Spending Plan Tests Wall Street

Meta shares fell nearly 9% Thursday and closed Friday at $608.75 after the company raised its 2026 capital spending forecast to as much as $145 billion, citing higher data-center and component costs. First-quarter revenue rose 33% to $56.31 billion, but Reality Labs posted a $4.03 billion loss. Daily user numbers slipped from the prior quarter due to disruptions in Iran and Russia.
May 3, 2026
UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 03.05.2026
···

UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 03.05.2026

LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: May 3, 2026, 12:00 AM EDTUpdated: May 3, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT Valuing Bank of Queensland Shares Using Dividend Yield and PE Ratio May 3, 2026, 11:51 PM EDT. Since the Covid lows, Westpac Banking Corp (WBC) shares have been popular among ASX investors. The Bank of Queensland (BOQ) shares are also notable for stable dividends and franking credits, benefits that make Australian bank stocks attractive. Analysts compare BOQ's price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 15.7 times to the banking sector average of 19 times. This suggests a sector-adjusted PE valuation of about $7.69 compared with the current share
May 3, 2026
Fresnillo PLC Shares Rise as Silver Jump Puts Output Worries Back in Play
···

Fresnillo PLC Shares Rise as Silver Jump Puts Output Worries Back in Play

Fresnillo PLC shares closed at 3,255p in London, up 0.62% after a volatile week, as silver prices jumped 3% and gold edged higher. The miner’s first-quarter silver output fell 8.5% from the previous quarter, while gold output rose 0.7%. Shares remain below their April 24 close of 3,370p despite Thursday and Friday gains. Fresnillo kept 2026 production guidance unchanged.
May 3, 2026
Tesco PLC Buyback Moves Ahead as Profit Risks Shadow UK Grocery Leader
···

Tesco PLC Buyback Moves Ahead as Profit Risks Shadow UK Grocery Leader

Tesco bought 415,107 shares for cancellation on April 30 under its £750 million buyback, taking the total to 2.89 million shares since April 22. The company reported £66.59 billion in sales and £3.15 billion in adjusted operating profit for the year. Tesco’s share capital stood at 6.38 billion shares as of April 30. The stock closed Friday at 480.75 pence, down 0.27%.
May 3, 2026
JPMorgan, Citi Governance Spotlight Widens After $52 Million Banker Hire and Lawmaker Stock Sale
···

JPMorgan, Citi Governance Spotlight Widens After $52 Million Banker Hire and Lawmaker Stock Sale

Citi’s hiring of former JPMorgan banker Viswas Raghavan is under scrutiny after reports said JPMorgan had decided he had no long-term future there due to management concerns. Citi disputed the characterization of its hiring process. Separately, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher disclosed selling up to $15,000 in inherited JPMorgan shares. U.S. markets were closed Saturday.
May 3, 2026
United Utilities Group PLC’s £800 Million Raise Puts Its £11.5 Billion Water Plan in Focus
···

United Utilities Group PLC’s £800 Million Raise Puts Its £11.5 Billion Water Plan in Focus

United Utilities raised £800 million by issuing 60.98 million new shares at 1,312 pence each, with trading set to begin May 5. The funds will support an expanded £11.5 billion investment programme through 2030. Shares fell 2.8% Friday after the fundraising, despite an 11% surge the previous day. The company reported annual underlying revenue of £2.58 billion and profit after tax of £730 million.
May 3, 2026
SSE PLC Investors Get the 1.21 Billion Voting-Rights Number Before May Results
····

SSE PLC Investors Get the 1.21 Billion Voting-Rights Number Before May Results

The U.S. will allow preferential duty access for UK-made whisky, lifting tariffs and boosting Diageo PLC ahead of its May 6 trading update. Diageo shares rose as much as 2.8% intraday Friday before closing up 0.7%. The company has faced weak U.S. and Chinese sales and cut its guidance in February. Net sales fell 4% to $10.46 billion in the half-year to December 2025.
May 2, 2026
Weir Group PLC Shares Slide After CEO Shake-Up: Order Growth Becomes the Test
···

Weir Group PLC Shares Slide After CEO Shake-Up: Order Growth Becomes the Test

Weir Group shares fell 2.03% to £26.00 on Friday, extending losses after a trading update showed first-quarter organic orders down 3%, despite total group orders rising 4% at constant currency. Minerals division head Andrew Neilson will replace CEO Jon Stanton on August 1. The Minerals unit, which makes up over 71% of revenue, also saw a 3% drop in organic orders.
May 2, 2026
1 … 56 57 58 59 60 … 213

Stock Market Today

  • How to invest in ASX shares amid timing concerns
    May 30, 2026, 2:40 PM EDT. Investors often worry about buying ASX shares at the wrong time amid market fluctuations. Experts advise focusing on long-term business quality rather than timing market highs or lows. Gradually investing over time can reduce emotional stress and risk, enabling investors to seize opportunities during market dips. Selecting shares with strong balance sheets, resilient earnings, and reliable management-such as blue chips like Macquarie Group (ASX: MQG)-is critical in uncertain conditions. Diversification through ETFs like Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares (ASX: VGS) provides global exposure to sectors less accessible locally. Accepting market volatility as normal helps maintain a steady investment strategy. Prioritizing durable businesses and a long-term horizon can mitigate timing challenges in ASX investing.