News 15 May 2026 - 16 May 2026

QBE Insurance prices A$500m capital notes, spotlight shifts to 2026 guidance
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QBE Insurance prices A$500m capital notes, spotlight shifts to 2026 guidance

Fitch Ratings assigned a “BBB” rating to QBE Insurance’s A$500 million Additional Tier 1 capital notes, priced this week at BBSW plus 2.50%. QBE reported first-quarter gross written premium up 11% to $9.2 billion, with net catastrophe claims at about $300 million through April. Shares closed at A$23.04, up 1.86% Friday. QBE Re named Montassar Cherrak as regional head for Middle East and North Africa.
May 16, 2026
Coles faces court setback on ‘Down Down’ promo, boosting fine risk
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Coles faces court setback on ‘Down Down’ promo, boosting fine risk

Australia’s Federal Court found Coles Group misled shoppers with “Down Down” price promotions on 245 grocery items, citing false or misleading price tickets. The ACCC said Coles sometimes raised prices, then advertised discounts at levels still higher than earlier shelf prices. Penalties will be decided later. Coles shares closed at A$20.81 on Friday, after falling 2.7% post-ruling.
May 16, 2026
Woolworths Group under pressure on pricing after losing Coles case
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Woolworths Group under pressure on pricing after losing Coles case

The Federal Court found Coles misled shoppers with “Down Down” discount claims; Woolworths now awaits judgment in a similar ACCC case over its “Prices Dropped” promotion covering 266 products. Woolworths shares closed at A$32.98, up 0.44% on May 15, but fell 1.9% after the Coles ruling. Penalties for Coles will be set later. Coles and Woolworths together sell nearly two-thirds of Australia’s groceries.
May 16, 2026
South32 Gets Alaska Copper Permit Lift, Hermosa Still in Focus
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South32 Gets Alaska Copper Permit Lift, Hermosa Still in Focus

South32’s Ambler Metals joint venture with Trilogy Metals secured FAST-41 permitting status for the Arctic copper-zinc project in Alaska. South32 shares fell 5.18% to A$4.21 Friday amid a wider mining sector decline. The news comes as investors weigh delays and higher costs at South32’s Hermosa project in Arizona. The Arctic project is estimated to produce 10,000 tons of ore daily over 13 years.
May 16, 2026
Lynas Rare Earths Moves as Beijing Delays, ASX Miner Back in Focus
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Lynas Rare Earths Moves as Beijing Delays, ASX Miner Back in Focus

Lynas shares closed at A$17.95 on Friday after a 9.8% drop Thursday. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said China’s rare earth exports are improving, but some export licences remain slow. Prediction markets put the odds of quick rare-earth export relief from Trump-Xi talks below 20%. Lynas recently secured a Pentagon-backed supply deal and a firm annual commitment with Japan.
May 15, 2026
Aristocrat Leisure Stock Rebounds on A$1 Billion Buyback — What the HY26 Numbers Show
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Aristocrat Leisure Stock Rebounds on A$1 Billion Buyback — What the HY26 Numbers Show

Aristocrat Leisure shares rose 8.74% this week after the company expanded its buyback by A$1 billion to A$2.5 billion and reported a first-half normalised NPATA of A$794 million, up 8.4%. Interim dividend increased 13.6% to 50 Australian cents. Revenue held at A$3.03 billion, with gains in North American casino market share. The buyback program now runs to May 2027.
May 15, 2026
Liontown Shares Fall 6% as Lithium Rally Faces a Hard Test
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Liontown Shares Fall 6% as Lithium Rally Faces a Hard Test

Liontown shares fell 6% to A$2.35 in Friday trading, tracking a broader mining selloff as lithium prices slipped. The company’s market value stood at A$7.47 billion. Liontown reported its strongest quarter since production began, with A$33 million net cash flow and 96,000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate produced. An expansion at Kathleen Valley remains under early works, with a final investment decision due by early 2027.
May 15, 2026
Wesfarmers Strategy Day Puts Bunnings, Kmart Cost Squeeze In Focus
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Wesfarmers Strategy Day Puts Bunnings, Kmart Cost Squeeze In Focus

Wesfarmers will hold its 2026 Strategy Briefing Day in Sydney on June 10, with presentation materials set for ASX release before an 8:30 a.m. webcast. The event comes as the Reserve Bank of Australia raised rates to 4.35% and CEO Rob Scott warned of rising costs, especially from fuel surcharges. Wesfarmers shares closed at A$71.67 on May 15, down 0.08%. The company reported half-year net profit of A$1.603 billion in February.
May 15, 2026
Mineral Resources Stock Sinks After Chris Ellison’s $122 Million Sale—What Comes Next for ASX:MIN
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Mineral Resources Stock Sinks After Chris Ellison’s $122 Million Sale—What Comes Next for ASX:MIN

Mineral Resources shares dropped as much as 7.1% Friday after founder Chris Ellison sold A$122.5 million in stock, according to a company filing. Ellison sold 1.75 million shares between May 11 and 14 at an average A$69.98 each, citing personal financial planning. The stock closed at A$64.77, down 7.7%. Ellison remains the largest shareholder with 10.54% of issued capital.
May 15, 2026
Evolution Mining Shares Slide 5.5% as Gold Pullback Tests ASX:EVN Cash-Flow Rally
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Evolution Mining Shares Slide 5.5% as Gold Pullback Tests ASX:EVN Cash-Flow Rally

Evolution Mining shares fell 5.5% to A$12.50 on Friday as gold and copper prices dropped, with COMEX copper futures down 3.2% and gold 1.6% lower in Asian trade. The selloff hit other miners, including Northern Star and BHP. Evolution reported A$406 million in March-quarter cash flow and held A$1.371 billion in cash, with no major debt due until fiscal 2029. No new company disclosures accompanied the share decline.
May 15, 2026
Woodside Energy Group Ltd Stock in Focus After LNG Strike Threat, Inpex Browse Deal
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Woodside Energy Group Ltd Stock in Focus After LNG Strike Threat, Inpex Browse Deal

Woodside faces new strike action at its Karratha and Pluto LNG sites in Western Australia starting Wednesday, the Offshore Alliance union said. Talks between the union and Inpex over the Ichthys LNG facility in Darwin also broke down. Inpex separately agreed to buy PetroChina’s 10.67% stake in the Browse gas project, pending approvals. Woodside shares closed up 2.06% at A$31.25 on Friday.
May 15, 2026
ANZ Group Holdings Dividend Update: $248 Million Share Purchase Sets Up July Payout
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ANZ Group Holdings Dividend Update: $248 Million Share Purchase Sets Up July Payout

ANZ will buy about A$248 million of its own shares on market to meet its 2026 interim dividend reinvestment plan, appointing UBS Securities Australia to handle the purchase. The interim dividend remains at 83 Australian cents a share, payable July 1. DRP participation stands at 9.9% of shares, BOP at 2.4%. If the buyback is not completed, ANZ will issue new shares to meet obligations.
May 15, 2026
Fortescue Ltd’s $150 Million Native Title Payout May Not End the Yindjibarndi Fight
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Fortescue Ltd’s $150 Million Native Title Payout May Not End the Yindjibarndi Fight

Yindjibarndi traditional owners may appeal a Federal Court order requiring Fortescue Ltd to pay A$150 million for cultural loss over its Solomon Hub iron ore mine. The court awarded just A$100,000 for economic loss, drawing criticism from native title advocates. Fortescue shares fell 1.7% Friday amid a broader mining selloff. The company said it will review the court’s reasons once published.
May 15, 2026
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