News 2 May 2026 - 3 May 2026

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

Stock Market Today: Live Updates 15.07.2026

LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 15, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 15, 2026, 5:53 AM EDT Bank of Queensland (ASX: BOQ): 4 Fast Ways to Size Up the Share Price July 15, 2026, 5:25 AM EDT. Looking at Bank of Queensland Limited (ASX: BOQ), investors often watch a few main numbers. BOQ runs close to 200 branches, many led by owner-managers, underscoring its place in regional banking. The bank’s net interest margin comes in at 1.56%, under the 1.78% average for the big names on the ASX, so returns on lending are slimmer. Return on equity is 4.7%, well below the
July 15, 2026
ANZ Profit Jump Masks a Tougher Test as Shares Slide After Half-Year Results
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ANZ Profit Jump Masks a Tougher Test as Shares Slide After Half-Year Results

ANZ Group Holdings posted a profit increase, but that didn’t keep investors from dumping the stock. Lower costs and an unchanged dividend weren’t enough—concerns over credit risk, geopolitical turmoil, and CEO Nuno Matos’ ambitious overhaul took center stage instead. Statutory profit at the Melbourne-based lender landed at A$3.65 billion for the six months ending March 31, with cash profit coming in slightly higher at A$3.78 billion. The cash figure, which leaves out non-core items, climbed 14% from the previous half—ANZ’s calculation excludes significant items for that comparison.
May 3, 2026
Commonwealth Bank Lifts Term Deposit Rate Before RBA Decision — But ANZ Still Pays More
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Commonwealth Bank Lifts Term Deposit Rate Before RBA Decision — But ANZ Still Pays More

Commonwealth Bank of Australia bumped up its 12-month term deposit special to 5.20% per annum, as the competition for household savings heats up just ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s upcoming interest-rate call. According to the bank’s rates page, the new offer is set to kick in from May 1 and is limited to 12-month deposits. Cash is getting a fresh look in the banking system. The RBA’s cash rate target—its overnight benchmark—sits at 4.10%. Traders are waiting for the next policy decision, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on May 5.
May 3, 2026
CSL Buyback Near 2017 Lows: Why the ASX Biotech Giant Is Under Pressure
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CSL Buyback Near 2017 Lows: Why the ASX Biotech Giant Is Under Pressure

CSL Limited picked up another 110,004 shares on April 30, spending A$13.69 million, according to a May 1 ASX filing, as the biotech company keeps buying its own stock while trading close to multi-year lows. Up to that point, CSL had already repurchased 6,242,085 shares for a total of A$1.044 billion. The company previously announced the buyback could go as high as US$750 million and is set to continue until June 30. Timing matters here. CSL shares ended Friday at A$124.84, edging up 0.38%. Still, that's just above their 52-week low of A$123.88—less than half the 52-week high of A$275.79, according to market data.
May 3, 2026
BHP Group Ltd’s China Iron Ore Deal Puts Rio Tinto and Fortescue on the Clock
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BHP Group Ltd’s China Iron Ore Deal Puts Rio Tinto and Fortescue on the Clock

BHP Group Ltd’s iron ore pricing deal with Beijing is now reaching beyond a single contract, the Australian Financial Review said Sunday, and the impact could ripple across Australia’s top export sector. The focus isn’t only on BHP’s ability to ship cargoes into China anymore—now, questions are swirling over whether China’s chosen pricing methods will start to dictate terms for the broader market. The timing here is key—BHP has just wrapped up a protracted standoff with China Mineral Resources Group, or CMRG, the state-backed entity that organizes iron ore buying for China’s steel industry. Last month, Reuters said BHP finished negotiations with CMRG after some types of ore faced buying restrictions. eToro’s Josh Gilbert described the resolution as a step
May 3, 2026
UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 03.05.2026
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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
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Fresnillo PLC Shares Rise as Silver Jump Puts Output Worries Back in Play

Fresnillo PLC ended the day in London at 3,255p, gaining 0.62%. The Mexican precious-metals miner saw a choppy session, with shares swinging from 3,113p to as high as 3,282p, according to market data. The timing stood out: London’s FTSE 100 dipped 0.1% in light volumes before a UK public holiday, just as Reuters flagged spot silver climbing 3% and gold reversing earlier declines. That uptick in metals gave Fresnillo investors a new angle, shifting focus away from last month’s production shortfall at the silver miner.
May 3, 2026
Haleon PLC Share Count Shrinks as Sensodyne Owner Faces Growth Test
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Haleon PLC Share Count Shrinks as Sensodyne Owner Faces Growth Test

Haleon PLC reported 8,879,691,798 total ordinary shares with voting rights as of April 30, handing investors the key number they’ll need if a stake crosses a disclosure threshold. It's a modest update, but not without significance. Haleon, which owns Sensodyne, Panadol and Advil and trades in London, is leaning on buybacks to slim down its capital base, while it argues that the softness seen in the first quarter was down to seasonality. The latest filing pegs treasury shares—the stock it holds on its own books, with no voting rights—at 12,240,797.
May 3, 2026
Tesco PLC Buyback Moves Ahead as Profit Risks Shadow UK Grocery Leader
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Tesco PLC Buyback Moves Ahead as Profit Risks Shadow UK Grocery Leader

Tesco PLC trimmed its share count once more in a £750 million buyback, snapping up 415,107 ordinary shares for cancellation at an average price of 481.80 pence on April 30, according to a regulatory filing. Since kicking off the program on April 22, Tesco has bought back 2.89 million shares, totaling £14.0 million. The timing of the filing is notable as Tesco hands cash back to shareholders and the market gauges how well the UK’s biggest grocer can hold onto profit in a more challenging year. Last month, Tesco posted full-year figures with sales, stripped of VAT and fuel, at £66.59 billion. Adjusted operating profit hit £3.15 billion, and free cash flow—after operations and investment—came in at £1.96 billion, all
May 3, 2026
JPMorgan, Citi Governance Spotlight Widens After $52 Million Banker Hire and Lawmaker Stock Sale
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JPMorgan, Citi Governance Spotlight Widens After $52 Million Banker Hire and Lawmaker Stock Sale

Citigroup’s recent move to bring in Viswas Raghavan—the ex-dealmaking boss from JPMorgan Chase—has drawn new questions, after reports surfaced suggesting JPMorgan had already decided he wouldn’t have a lasting role there due to worries about his leadership approach. According to GlobalCapital, JPMorgan offered no comment on the matter. Citi, for its part, pushed back, calling the account of its recruitment process “mischaracterized.” The question is pressing for Citi, which is out to show its investment bank can claw back share from JPMorgan—the top fee generator in the sector. Investors are also eyeing how effectively the big banks can rein in culture, compensation, and disclosure. In the first quarter, Citi’s banking division posted $304 million in net income, a 36% increase.
May 3, 2026
United Utilities Group PLC’s £800 Million Raise Puts Its £11.5 Billion Water Plan in Focus
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United Utilities Group PLC’s £800 Million Raise Puts Its £11.5 Billion Water Plan in Focus

United Utilities Group PLC has pulled in roughly £800 million, tapping investors via a placing, retail offer and director subscription. The new cash injection hands the North West England water firm extra equity, backing its expanded investment plan—now at around £11.5 billion through 2030. United Utilities set the price for 60.98 million new shares at 1,312 pence apiece, with trading set to begin May 5. This matters: the deal shifts United Utilities’ upgrade effort from talk to actual funding. The company is chasing extra water and wastewater capacity—needed for new housing, data centers, clean-energy sites—while making its case to regulators and investors that it can bankroll growth and still keep leverage within the 55%-65% target band.
May 3, 2026
SSE PLC Investors Get the 1.21 Billion Voting-Rights Number Before May Results
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SSE PLC Investors Get the 1.21 Billion Voting-Rights Number Before May Results

SSE PLC has updated its shareholder voting base to 1,212,191,770 rights, according to a Friday regulatory filing—a key figure for investors as the British power company heads into annual results later this month. On May 1, the firm reported issued share capital of 1,215,474,042 ordinary shares, which includes 3,282,272 treasury shares that carry no voting rights. This figure is key for shareholders sizing up disclosure thresholds under UK rules—it's the denominator when deciding if a stake or a shift in holdings hits the reporting bar. Treasury shares, which the company holds on its own books, don't count, per FCA guidance. Calculations of voting rights should ignore them.
May 2, 2026
St. James’s Place Buyback Puts Share Count in Focus After Asset Dip
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St. James’s Place Buyback Puts Share Count in Focus After Asset Dip

St. James’s Place Plc snapped up 249,168 of its own shares for cancellation on April 30, pushing ahead with a capital-return effort that’s under new scrutiny after a turbulent week for its stock and client flows. Average price: 1,204.0052 pence per share, according to a filing Friday. Trades ranged between 1,169.0000p and 1,225.5000p. This is key at the moment, with SJP working to reassure investors about its capital discipline, even as doubts swirl over its flows following the new charging model. Sure, a buyback will cut the share count and could give a lift to EPS if profits don’t slip, but it won’t solve sluggish markets or lukewarm client demand on its own.
May 2, 2026
Weir Group PLC Shares Slide After CEO Shake-Up: Order Growth Becomes the Test
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Weir Group PLC Shares Slide After CEO Shake-Up: Order Growth Becomes the Test

Weir Group PLC faces a tough start to next week, with shares sliding again Friday. Investors looked past a planned CEO handover, focusing instead on softer first-quarter order numbers at the FTSE 100 mining engineer. The stock ended Friday’s session down 2.03% at £26.00. A Reuters report a day earlier noted Weir had dropped as much as 10% after its latest update. Timing is key here. Weir pitched investors a mining tech narrative built around critical minerals, mine growth, and steady service revenue, but the recent update exposed a disconnect: headline figures rose, yet underlying organic orders—excluding deals and currency shifts—fell short.
May 2, 2026
Airtel Africa’s $2 Billion Airtel Money IPO Plan Puts London Listing Back in Play
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Airtel Africa’s $2 Billion Airtel Money IPO Plan Puts London Listing Back in Play

Airtel Africa ended the session Friday in London at 353.20 pence, slipping 0.39%. A report out May 1st pointed to the group lining up an IPO for Airtel Money, eyeing between $1.5 billion and $2 billion in proceeds. London looks to be the front-runner for the listing, with the unit potentially fetching a valuation as high as $10 billion. This comes into focus as Airtel Africa prepares to release its full-year numbers on May 8, followed by a management call with analysts and investors at 1300 BST. The results call puts the company on the spot to discuss details—timing, venue, structure—around the mobile money listing, though the final shape of the deal is still up in the air.
May 2, 2026
BAE Systems Faces £120 Million Lawsuit as Fresh Arms Sales Put Defence Giant in Spotlight
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BAE Systems Faces £120 Million Lawsuit as Fresh Arms Sales Put Defence Giant in Spotlight

BAE Systems plc has been hit with a £120 million lawsuit from Kenya’s EnComm Aviation, which alleges damages after BAE pulled support for Advanced Turbo-Prop aircraft critical for aid flights across Africa. The legal challenge lands as the British defence giant is being linked to fresh U.S.-backed arms deals. According to Aviation Week, EnComm is seeking around $160 million in the UK High Court for losses and damages. This case is drawing attention as BAE rides a wave of record sales and its largest-ever order backlog, buoyed by ramped-up defence budgets in Europe, the U.S., and the Middle East. Back in February, the company posted 2025 sales at £30.66 billion, underlying EBIT of £3.32 billion, and logged an order backlog
May 2, 2026
Rio Tinto plc’s Quiet Filing Lands at a Loud Moment for Mining Stocks
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Rio Tinto plc’s Quiet Filing Lands at a Loud Moment for Mining Stocks

Rio Tinto plc has issued 14,724 new ordinary shares under its employee share plan, pushing total voting rights up to 1,255,045,621 just ahead of the miner’s annual meetings in London and Perth, according to a regulatory filing. The new shares carry the same rights as the existing ones and have already been admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market, the company said. Financially, the disclosure is minor. What’s key: voting rights form the denominator for investors calculating if they need to declare a stake or any changes under UK disclosure regulations. The timing of the update is notable, landing just before Rio Tinto’s annual general meetings on May 6.
May 2, 2026
British American Tobacco Share Count Moves Again as BAT Buyback, Dividend Draw Focus
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British American Tobacco Share Count Moves Again as BAT Buyback, Dividend Draw Focus

British American Tobacco p.l.c. allotted 19,950 ordinary shares in April through its Sharesave Scheme. The new shares, each at 25 pence, hit the London Stock Exchange’s main market under a block admission—an established authorization for plan-related listings. BAT noted these shares carry equal rights to its outstanding ordinary shares. It’s not a big number compared to BAT’s overall capital, but timing is key here. With buybacks in play, every tweak to the share count immediately shifts the headline figure investors watch for voting rights, earnings per share, and dividend cover. As of April 30, BAT listed 2,169,936,467 voting shares, while 132,661,545 shares sat in treasury—those are the ones the company holds itself, not in the hands of outside investors.
May 2, 2026
Beazley Plc Takeover: Zurich Builds Stake as £8.1 Billion Deal Hits Fine Print
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Beazley Plc Takeover: Zurich Builds Stake as £8.1 Billion Deal Hits Fine Print

Zurich Insurance Group has increased its position in Beazley Plc, snapping up 605,476 shares in the London-listed specialty insurer as the £8.1 billion acquisition shifts from securing shareholder backing to the drawn-out phase of legal filings, court reviews, and regulatory steps. According to a May 1 disclosure, Zurich’s stake rose to 18.76 million shares, or 3.11%, following April 30 trades that landed between 1,275.5 pence and 1,277 pence per share. The cash transaction isn’t quite across the finish line, even after clearing a major hurdle. Beazley shareholders threw their support behind Zurich’s bid, with 99.9% voting in favor on April 22. The deal still needs a court sign-off, and is slated for completion in the second half of 2026.
May 2, 2026
Legal & General Just Got FCA Approval To Nudge Pension Savers Out Of Cash
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Legal & General Just Got FCA Approval To Nudge Pension Savers Out Of Cash

Legal & General Group Plc can now offer “targeted support” after getting the green light from the Financial Conduct Authority, clearing the way for the UK financial services group to issue more tailored messages to members of defined contribution workplace pensions. The first wave will focus on savers holding all their retirement savings in cash. The timing is important here: the FCA’s targeted support regime kicked in on April 6, creating a middle layer between one-size-fits-all guidance and comprehensive financial advice. Under this approach, firms are allowed to offer ready-made suggestions to groups of customers who share similar characteristics, stopping short of giving a bespoke recommendation to each individual. According to the regulator, around 23 million consumers aren’t getting what
May 2, 2026
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