News 15 May 2026

Etihad Orders 10 Boeing Jets, Raising Talk of Hard-to-Get 787 Slots

Stock Market Today: Live Updates 14.07.2026

LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 14, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 14, 2026, 3:55 PM EDT IBM Drops 25% After Earnings Miss and Spending Moves Away From Software July 14, 2026, 3:44 PM EDT. IBM shares dropped more than 25% after the company missed on second-quarter numbers and issued a profit warning. Revenue came in at $17.2 billion, up just 1% from a year ago, below analyst expectations of $17.86 billion. CEO Arvind Krishna said enterprise customers are moving budgets away from software toward datacentre infrastructure and cybersecurity, as AI hardware demand climbs. This cut into IBM’s higher-margin mainframe business. The
July 14, 2026
Legal & General Takeover Buzz Jolts FTSE 100 Stock As CEO Says No Sale Is On The Table
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Legal & General Takeover Buzz Jolts FTSE 100 Stock As CEO Says No Sale Is On The Table

Legal & General Group Plc shares barely budged in London on Friday, sticking near Thursday’s sharp gain. Takeover chatter continued to swirl around the FTSE 100 insurer and asset manager, despite Chief Executive António Simões insisting the company isn’t weighing a sale or a break-up. Early Friday afternoon, shares changed hands at 263.10p on the offer and 263.20p on the bid, slipping 0.27% after Thursday’s 6.16% jump. AJ Bell pegged Legal & General’s market cap near 14.56 billion pounds.
May 15, 2026
Hiscox Ltd Shares Leap as Lloyd’s Syndicate Update Keeps Buyback Story in Play
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Hiscox Ltd Shares Leap as Lloyd’s Syndicate Update Keeps Buyback Story in Play

Shares of Hiscox Ltd surged over 11% in London on Friday, leaving the broader market behind after new Lloyd’s syndicate figures landed and the insurer reported unanimous support from shareholders at its annual meeting. According to Fidelity, Hiscox was quoted at 1,825p on the sell side and 1,831p on the buy at 12:58 BST—up by 188p, or 11.47%. For context, the FTSE All-Share slipped 1.61% on the same data, making Hiscox’s jump stand out.
May 15, 2026
3i Group plc Shares Bounce After Action Sales Shock — The £750 Million Question Now
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3i Group plc Shares Bounce After Action Sales Shock — The £750 Million Question Now

3i Group plc shares bounced 5.1% to 2,218p by 12:53 p.m. in London, recouping some of Thursday’s sharp losses. The FTSE 100 investment firm, which relies heavily on European discounter Action, saw its stock post the index’s biggest gain late Friday morning after tumbling 12.76% the previous day on weaker Action sales. This is notable: 3i effectively trades as a public-market stand-in for Action these days. As of March 31, the company put a £23.74 billion price tag on its 65.4% holding in Action, out of a total portfolio worth £31.82 billion. That’s about three quarters of everything 3i owns.
May 15, 2026
BP PLC Weighs Egypt Gas Asset Sale as New CEO’s Debt Push Gets Real
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BP PLC Weighs Egypt Gas Asset Sale as New CEO’s Debt Push Gets Real

BP PLC is weighing the possible sale of certain natural gas holdings in Egypt, according to four people familiar with the situation, Reuters reported. Sources emphasized that BP hasn’t made a final call yet. When asked, a BP spokesperson declined to address what they described as market speculation. The oil giant, under new CEO Meg O’Neill, has funneled over $35 billion into Egypt over a span of sixty years and is responsible for around 60% of Egypt’s gas output via a combination of operated fields and joint ventures. The timing is key. O’Neill, who stepped in as CEO on April 1, has informed staff that BP will kick off a reorganisation in June, splitting into two core divisions: upstream—covering oil
May 15, 2026
Rio Tinto PLC Makes BP Legal Hire as Shares Slide From 52-Week High
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Rio Tinto PLC Makes BP Legal Hire as Shares Slide From 52-Week High

Rio Tinto PLC tapped Trudi Charles, a longtime BP executive, as its incoming chief legal officer. The appointment lands as the miner is navigating major copper and iron ore projects, turbulent commodity swings, and sluggish London share performance. Charles is set to take over from Isabelle Deschamps as Chief Legal Officer, Governance & Corporate Affairs, with Rio Tinto confirming she’ll come on board Aug. 1. Currently BP’s deputy general counsel and senior vice president overseeing legal, supply, trading and shipping, Charles has logged more than two decades at the energy giant. “Deep legal experience and strong commercial insight,” is how Rio Tinto Chief Executive Simon Trott described her background.
May 15, 2026
Intertek Takeover: EQT’s £9.4 Billion Bid Moves Closer After Board U-Turn
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Intertek Takeover: EQT’s £9.4 Billion Bid Moves Closer After Board U-Turn

Intertek Group plc edged nearer to a takeover by Sweden’s EQT, with its board signaling it’s ready to back a final £60-a-share cash proposal. The board also agreed to open up its books for confirmatory due diligence, the final review before a buyer locks in a deal. Intertek, listed on the FTSE 100, had batted away three prior bids from EQT, sticking with plans for a strategic review that might have carved up sections of the business. Now, the UK Takeover Panel has given EQT until 5 p.m. on June 11 to put up a binding offer—or step aside.
May 15, 2026
GSK plc’s Jemperli Court Fight With AnaptysBio Takes New Turn Before July Trial
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GSK Plc Dividend Date Today: Why Its 2026 Payout Is Back in Focus

GSK’s U.S.-listed American depositary shares go ex-dividend on Friday, putting the British drugmaker’s next payout into live market focus. The company’s calendar lists May 15 as the ADS ex-dividend and record date for its first-quarter dividend, with payment due July 9; a market notice this week also flagged GSK among stocks going ex-dividend on May 15. Ex-dividend means new buyers after the cut-off no longer receive the next declared payout. That matters now because GSK is trying to keep its income case steady while asking investors to look harder at new drugs, not just the legacy strength of HIV medicines and vaccines.
May 15, 2026
SSE Raises Profit Outlook Before Results, But the Boost Comes With a Catch
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SSE Raises Profit Outlook Before Results, But the Boost Comes With a Catch

SSE PLC bumped up its full-year adjusted EPS outlook following a shift in how it tallies losses from Neos Networks, nudging the British utility’s profit target higher days ahead of its annual results. Adjusted EPS, the company’s preferred profit gauge, factors out certain items or restates them to give a cleaner earnings view. What really matters for investors is where this upgrade comes from. Sure, the headline earnings get a lift, but it's thanks to an accounting change—not because SSE has seen a real jump in wind output, power prices, or grid returns.
May 15, 2026
BAT’s Velo Bet Faces a Fresh WHO Warning After Shares Hit a 52-Week High
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BAT’s Velo Bet Faces a Fresh WHO Warning After Shares Hit a 52-Week High

Friday brought new pressure from the World Health Organization, which called on governments to strengthen regulation of nicotine pouches—a move that lands just as British American Tobacco p.l.c. hit a 52-week high and accelerated its Velo rollout. The warning adds a fresh twist for the Lucky Strike maker. Now, BAT is counting on its smokeless lineup—Velo pouches, Vuse vapes—to make up for shrinking cigarette demand. But just as BAT leans harder on these products, investors sent tobacco shares higher this week after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration relaxed its enforcement for certain vapes and nicotine pouches still under review.
May 15, 2026
Unilever’s McCormick Deal Gets Awkward After Terry Smith Walks Away
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Unilever’s McCormick Deal Gets Awkward After Terry Smith Walks Away

Unilever PLC finds itself under sharper scrutiny after Fundsmith’s Terry Smith exited his position, criticizing the shift from fixing operations to splitting up the business and tying its foods unit to McCormick. Smith’s departure—flagged by The Times—lands one of the group’s most prominent shareholders in open opposition to CEO Fernando Fernández’s most significant move to date. Timing is key here. Unilever’s board won shareholder support at Wednesday’s annual meeting, but the McCormick deal skips a Unilever shareholder vote under UK listing rules, the company said in its announcement. Closing is targeted by mid-2027. The deal still needs McCormick shareholder approval, regulatory sign-off, and other standard conditions.
May 15, 2026
Shell Plc Just Put a $23.8 Billion Number on Its Global Tax Footprint
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Shell Plc Just Put a $23.8 Billion Number on Its Global Tax Footprint

Shell Plc reported paying out $23.84 billion to governments for 2025, releasing a detailed, country-level breakdown just ahead of its annual shareholder meeting. The move offers investors and policymakers a closer look at the oil giant’s fiscal footprint. The filing listed $10.04 billion paid in taxes, $8.04 billion in production entitlements—the portion of output kept by the host government—and $3.77 billion in royalties. Brazil topped the country breakdown at $4.25 billion, followed by Oman at roughly $3.99 billion and Norway at $3.77 billion.
May 15, 2026
Barclays Shares Drop as UK Political Storm and Rate Fears Hit Bank Stocks
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Barclays Shares Drop as UK Political Storm and Rate Fears Hit Bank Stocks

Barclays PLC slid Friday, losing ground as UK assets came under fresh pressure, dragging bank shares along and reviving political jitters in the market. By 09:47 London time, the stock was trading at 422.55p—down 12.15p, or 2.8%, from Thursday’s 434.70p close. This shift is significant for Barclays, which faces two active threats: higher UK funding costs and uncertainty around potential Labour-led fiscal loosening. Reuters noted both Barclays and Lloyds dropped over 2% as UK banking shares slid on Friday.
May 15, 2026
Lloyds Banking Group Shares Fall Today: Why UK Political Turmoil Is Hitting Banks
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Lloyds Banking Group Shares Fall Today: Why UK Political Turmoil Is Hitting Banks

Lloyds Banking Group shares slid over 2% Friday, part of a broader slump for UK banks as investors grappled with political jitters, higher government borrowing costs, and renewed inflation fears. Barclays sank more than 2% as well. Sterling touched a five-week low. The FTSE 100 retreated 0.6%. Lloyds stands out these days as a direct barometer for the UK economy. When gilt yields climb — those are UK government bonds — funding costs can ratchet higher, putting pressure on borrowers and making the environment tougher for mortgages, consumer credit, and small-business loans.
May 15, 2026
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc Just Made A €1 Billion Debt Move — And The Stock Still Fell
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Rolls-Royce Holdings plc Just Made A €1 Billion Debt Move — And The Stock Still Fell

Rolls-Royce Holdings plc tapped the euro bond market for the first time since 2020, selling €1 billion in debt as investors put up more than €8.1 billion in orders, according to GlobalCapital. The British engine maker’s latest offering comes as it works through a turnaround. Timing is crucial here. Rolls-Royce wants to prove to bond investors that faith in its credit holds up, even as factors like climbing airline fuel bills, Middle East instability, and weaker equity markets weigh down aerospace shares. European carriers, scrambling for new jet fuel sources since Gulf routes got choked by the Iran conflict, are now paying about twice as much for jet fuel as before the war, according to Reuters.
May 15, 2026
HSBC’s $4 Billion Private-Credit Bet Hits a New Test After Fraud Loss
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HSBC’s $4 Billion Private-Credit Bet Hits a New Test After Fraud Loss

HSBC Holdings Plc on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to private-credit funds, responding after the Financial Times reported the bank had halted a $4 billion investment plan in the sector. The move marks another challenge for the London-based lender as it expands into private credit—a market drawing more scrutiny even as it grows rapidly. Timing is key here. Barely more than a week ago, HSBC booked a $400 million provision after the fall of British mortgage lender Market Financial Solutions—a move that’s left investors probing the extent of risk banks like HSBC face from private credit. In this corner of the market, loans bypass public bond and syndicated-loan channels.
May 15, 2026
Anglo American Stock Slides From High as $53 Billion Teck Deal Faces China Test
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Anglo American Stock Slides From High as $53 Billion Teck Deal Faces China Test

Anglo American plc shares slipped in London on Friday, giving up some of this week’s gains. The stock tracked a wider mining sector selloff, while investors assessed the company’s ongoing efforts to wrap up its Teck Resources merger—a move set to tilt Anglo further toward copper. This shift changes things for Anglo, whose valuation leans heavily now on copper, asset sales, and the clock on its merger—less so on its earlier mix of businesses. Copper’s been on a tear: three-month futures on the London Metal Exchange hit $14,196.50 before settling at $14,137.50 a metric ton on Wednesday. Investors kept piling in, worried about supply.
May 15, 2026
National Grid plc’s £70 Billion Grid Bet Just Hit a Storm-Cost Test
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National Grid plc’s £70 Billion Grid Bet Just Hit a Storm-Cost Test

National Grid plc shares slipped early Friday, erasing some of Thursday’s post-earnings rally. Investors digested an annual profit miss alongside a fresh £70 billion grid upgrade plan. The stock was down 2.79% at 1,254.50 pence as of 08:51 BST, according to LSEG figures cited by Investors’ Chronicle. The British electricity and gas network operator reported underlying operating profit at £5.68 billion for the year to March 31, missing a company-compiled consensus forecast of £5.75 billion, according to Reuters. The result, which strips out specified one-off and timing items, triggered the move.
May 15, 2026
Reckitt Benckiser’s AI Push Faces a Bigger Test After Dettol Maker’s Growth Miss
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Reckitt Benckiser’s AI Push Faces a Bigger Test After Dettol Maker’s Growth Miss

This week, Reckitt Benckiser Group plc spotlighted digital science and generative AI as key players in its growth strategy during an investor session. The company said these technologies now run through its Powerbrand lineup—Dettol, Lysol, Durex, Finish, Nurofen all included. Reckitt’s pitch: faster product development, and a better chance new products actually land with consumers. This wasn’t a random move. Reckitt came up short on quarterly like-for-like net revenue forecasts last month — that measure excludes things like currency swings and portfolio shifts — and flagged that first-half margins could land roughly 200 basis points, or two percentage points, below where they stood a year ago. High oil prices and a mild cold and flu season took their toll.
May 15, 2026
Glencore plc’s $9.75 Billion LNG Catalyst Just Landed. Why the Stock Still Fell
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Glencore plc’s $9.75 Billion LNG Catalyst Just Landed. Why the Stock Still Fell

Glencore plc’s ambitions in U.S. gas trading picked up real traction on Friday, as Caturus signed off on building the Commonwealth LNG export plant in Louisiana, securing $9.75 billion in project financing. The facility, slated for 9.5 million tonnes per year, targets a 2030 startup. Glencore is on the roster of long-term buyers. This isn’t just another cargo for Glencore. The company is locking in future U.S. Gulf Coast supply just as liquefied natural gas, or LNG — gas cooled to liquid form for shipment by tanker — takes on a bigger role in global energy flows.
May 15, 2026
UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 15.05.2026
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UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 15.05.2026

LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: May 15, 2026, 12:00 AM EDTUpdated: May 15, 2026, 11:58 PM EDT Dryer Sheets & Dryer Balls Market UK: Growth, Brands, Pricing, and Channels Analysis May 15, 2026, 11:58 PM EDT. This independent study examines the UK market for dryer sheets and dryer balls, focusing on fabric softening and static-reduction products used in clothes dryers. It highlights where market growth and profit margins lie, identifying key segments based on format, price tiers, and shopper behavior. The report details how brands and private labels compete for volume, shelf presence, and premium positioning. It analyzes how pricing and promotions
May 15, 2026
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