Investment 3 March 2026 - 4 March 2026

Rolls-Royce bought back 1,652,501 shares on March 3 under its £2.3 billion buyback plan, paying between 1,263.5 and 1,362 pence each. Shares closed Tuesday at 1,303 pence, down 3.77%, as the FTSE 100 fell 2.8%. The company proposed a 5.0 pence final dividend for 2025, payable June 3 if approved. Retired U.S. generals Laura Richardson and Duke Richardson joined the North America board.

Goldman Sachs shares fell 1.8% to $845.92 by late morning Tuesday as U.S. financial stocks declined amid renewed oil-driven inflation fears. Traders reduced bets on near-term Fed rate cuts, with CME FedWatch showing a 30.7% chance of a June cut, down from last week. The S&P 500 earlier hit a two-month low after Iran threatened vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices higher.

Battalion Oil shares surged 121% to $26.08 Tuesday after announcing a discounted private equity placement at $5.50 per share, well below Monday’s close. The deal, expected to close March 4, will raise funds for working capital. Oil prices jumped about 7% as Middle East tensions escalated, boosting related stocks and ETFs. Battalion recently sold West Quito Draw assets for $60.1 million and made a $40 million debt prepayment.

IQE shares dropped 6.8% to 23.85p in London after hitting a 12-month high of 29.5p earlier Tuesday. The stock remains in a Takeover Code “offer period” with no named bidder, prompting large holders like River Global Investors and Marble Bar Asset Management to disclose position changes. IQE updated its share count and reported new executive share options. No formal offer has been announced.

GSK shares fell 1.4% to 2,150 pence in early London trading Tuesday, extending recent losses as European stocks slid and Brent crude jumped over 4% amid Middle East tensions. The FTSE 100 dropped about 2%. GSK reported buying back 430,000 shares last week and holding 244 million in treasury as of Feb. 28. Morgan Stanley raised its price target to 1,700 pence but kept an “underweight” rating.

RELX shares rose 0.1% to 2,578 pence in early London trading Tuesday after the company disclosed a 500,000-share buyback at an average price of 2,567.2 pence. The shares will be held in treasury, bringing the total to nearly 24.8 million. Traders remain focused on oil prices and Bank of England rate expectations after Monday’s market selloff.

CSL Ltd closed down 1.4% at A$145.24 on Tuesday amid a broad ASX selloff. The company disclosed it bought back 61,069 shares the previous day, bringing the total to 3,852,598 since August 2025. CSL’s buyback program targets up to US$750 million in shares. Investors are watching the pace of repurchases ahead of the March 10 ex-dividend date.

Lynas Rare Earths shares fell 4.8% to A$19.04 Tuesday after Malaysia renewed the company’s operating licence for 10 years but set a five-year deadline to stop producing radioactive waste. About 8.1 million shares traded. The licence runs to 2036, with a review after five years and possible revocation if conditions are breached. Lynas must neutralise all waste produced within five years through thorium extraction or other approved methods.