News 24 April 2026 - 25 April 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, 12:23 PM EDT RECI trust's 10.3% yield: £2,000 could be worth £2,396 by July 2027, analysts say July 15, 2026, 10:12 AM EDT. Real Estate Credit Investments (LSE:RECI), a FTSE-listed trust lending to European property developers, is paying a 10.3% dividend yield. The shares are down 8% in the last year, leaving them at a 15% discount to net asset value. But the dividend has held at 3p per share each quarter. The trust makes money on higher rates in riskier parts of the real estate market. European
July 15, 2026
ANZ Group Holdings Hires First AI Chief From HSBC as Australia’s Bank Tech Race Tightens
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ANZ Group Holdings Hires First AI Chief From HSBC as Australia’s Bank Tech Race Tightens

ANZ Group Holdings Limited has tapped Kai Yang from HSBC for its newly created chief data and AI officer role—marking the first time the bank has appointed someone to this position. Chief Executive Nuno Matos wants to speed up progress on technology, risk, and execution, and Yang’s appointment signals that push. He’s set to start in Sydney in July, relocating from Hong Kong, where he was HSBC’s chief data and analytics officer covering Asia and the Middle East. Why does the timing matter? Artificial intelligence — think data analysis, automation, decision recommendation — is gaining traction across lending, fraud, trading, and marketing in big banking. ANZ’s move comes just days ahead of its financial-year 2026 half-year results on May 1,
April 25, 2026
Macquarie Group Stock Watch: 5.26% Regis Resources Stake Lands as UBS Turns Cautious
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Macquarie Group Stock Watch: 5.26% Regis Resources Stake Lands as UBS Turns Cautious

Macquarie Group Ltd. has hit Australia’s substantial-holder threshold in Regis Resources Ltd., revealing in a late Friday filing that it controls 39.8 million votes—5.26% of the miner’s voting power. The group’s substantial-holder status dates back to April 21, according to the notice, which details the stake as being split among investment-management units and Macquarie Bank. That total also factors in shares linked to stock borrowing and lending. It all comes down to timing. The filing hit just under two weeks ahead of Macquarie’s May 8 full-year results, trailing a retreat from a 52-week high reached earlier in the week. Shares wrapped up Friday at A$232.28, up 0.73%, after touching A$232.98 intraday.
April 25, 2026
Cochlear Shares Crash After Profit Warning: Why ASX:COH Is Still Under Pressure
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Cochlear Shares Crash After Profit Warning: Why ASX:COH Is Still Under Pressure

Cochlear Limited finished Friday at A$97.35, just off its lowest point of the week. The hearing-implant maker’s profit warning had already erased more than 40% from the share price over three sessions. Shares gained 2.47% in Friday’s trade but sat well beneath Tuesday’s A$167.94 finish. It’s moved beyond a single soft quarter. Investors are now pushing Cochlear to prove its adult-and-senior implant franchise can still deliver the kind of resilient growth it’s known for, the sort that’s supposed to withstand downturns. Instead, the business is looking more like a cyclical play — vulnerable to swings in consumer sentiment, referral pipelines, and hospital resources. Morningstar’s Shane Ponraj slashed his fair value estimate by more than half, to A$110, flagging what he
April 25, 2026
Westpac Banking Corporation Raises Mortgage Rates Again Before Crucial RBA Call
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Westpac Banking Corporation Raises Mortgage Rates Again Before Crucial RBA Call

Westpac Banking Corp bumped up fixed home-loan rates by 15 basis points—0.15 percentage point—the second hike in just three weeks. Its lowest fixed owner-occupier rate now clocks in at 6.29%, as Australian banks contend with rising funding costs and inflation risk. According to Canstar, over 90% of lenders have jacked up at least one fixed rate since the Reserve Bank of Australia’s March move, a list that includes Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, National Australia Bank, and ANZ. “Fixed rates are on the move again,” said Canstar’s Sally Tindall. Borrowers aren’t catching a break right now. The RBA’s cash rate remains parked at 4.10%, with the next move scheduled for 2.30 p.m. on May 5. The central bank has flagged that the
April 24, 2026
IGO’s Greenbushes Warning Hits Lithium Stock Just as Prices Turn Higher
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IGO’s Greenbushes Warning Hits Lithium Stock Just as Prices Turn Higher

IGO Limited slashed its full-year output target for the Greenbushes lithium mine and bumped up its cost outlook, dialing back expectations for one of Australia’s most prominent battery-metals names—even though revenue and cash flow climbed this quarter. The South Perth-based miner has cut its Greenbushes output target for FY26 to a range of 1.375 million to 1.425 million tonnes of spodumene, used in battery chemical production. Previously, the forecast sat between 1.5 million and 1.65 million tonnes. The company’s March-quarter report also flagged higher unit cash costs, now expected at A$380–A$420 per tonne, up from the earlier A$310–A$360 range.
April 24, 2026
Northern Star Resources Starts $500 Million Buyback as KCGM Turnaround Test Looms
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Northern Star Resources Starts $500 Million Buyback as KCGM Turnaround Test Looms

Northern Star Resources Ltd repurchased 455,738 shares for A$10.3 million on April 23, according to a company filing released Friday. This marks the first reported buy under its on-market program, which allows for up to A$500 million in purchases. In this approach, shares are acquired directly through exchange trading rather than via a tender offer. The capital return kicks off right as investors are watching to see if Northern Star’s March-quarter cash flow can translate into more reliable production at Kalgoorlie, the company’s flagship site in Western Australia. For the March quarter, the gold miner logged sales of 380,807 ounces. All-in sustaining cost came in at A$2,709 per ounce—AISC folds in both operating expenses and the investments required to keep
April 24, 2026
Woodside Energy Group Gas Tax Warning Puts LNG Growth Plans On The Line
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Woodside Energy Group Gas Tax Warning Puts LNG Growth Plans On The Line

Woodside Energy Group Ltd has flagged to Australian senators that slapping a 25% tax on gas exports could render fresh projects unviable, thrusting the company into the thick of debates over how much Australia should rake in from its gas sector. At Friday’s hearing in Perth, Chief Financial Officer Graham Tiver pointed out the new levy would stack on top of existing company tax and the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax—which targets profits from certain offshore resources after costs are recouped. “I’m not sure how any project would survive,” he told the panel. Time is short. The Senate’s Select Committee on the Taxation of Gas Resources—formed March 30—faces a May 7 deadline to deliver its report. The panel is looking at
April 24, 2026
Google’s $40 Billion Anthropic Bet Sharpens the AI Compute Race
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Google’s $40 Billion Anthropic Bet Sharpens the AI Compute Race

Google has committed as much as $40 billion to Anthropic, backing the Claude AI maker even as it squares off with Google in the AI race. The agreement lands $10 billion in cash immediately, valuing Anthropic at $350 billion, plus up to $30 billion extra if key milestones are met. Timing is crucial here, with the AI battle boiling down to a scramble for compute—chips, power, and data-center capacity to train models and serve users. Anthropic’s annual run-rate revenue just cleared $30 billion this month, a sharp climb from roughly $9 billion at 2025’s close.
April 24, 2026
National Australia Bank Settles Federal Court Fight, but Credit Costs Are the Bigger Test
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National Australia Bank Settles Federal Court Fight, but Credit Costs Are the Bigger Test

National Australia Bank Limited and the Finance Sector Union have agreed to settle a Federal Court dispute over claims of excessive overtime, ending a case that brought staff wellbeing and workload concerns into the spotlight at one of the country’s biggest lenders. The deal, reached “without admissions,” leaves the question of legal responsibility unresolved. Timing is key here. NAB’s first-half results drop on May 4, just after it flagged higher credit impairment charges—those are expenses for potentially sour loans. The ASX cash market, though, is shut for Anzac Day. NAB closed at A$40.08 on Friday, according to ASX data.
April 24, 2026
CSL Shares Near Nine-Year Low After Pentagon Flu Shot U-Turn Tests Buyback
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CSL Shares Near Nine-Year Low After Pentagon Flu Shot U-Turn Tests Buyback

CSL Limited shares found some footing Friday, though the Australian biotech still hovered near a nine-year trough. Confidence in its Seqirus vaccine division took a blow after a shift in U.S. military flu-vaccine policy. Shares closed at A$130, up 0.8%, having hit A$127.75 earlier in the day. It matters now: the Pentagon’s move to make flu shots optional for both active and reserve troops, as well as civilians, has shaken a channel investors once counted on for steady demand. Speaking on the change, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told troops the vaccine remains available, but “we will not force you.”
April 24, 2026
BHP Group’s China Iron Ore Truce Comes With a Pricing Catch
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BHP Group’s China Iron Ore Truce Comes With a Pricing Catch

BHP Group Ltd will switch to a Chinese iron ore price index for its Jimblebar Fines product, settling a protracted dispute with China Mineral Resources Group, according to three sources cited by Reuters in a report published by Energy News. This pivot hands more pricing clout over BHP’s key iron ore product to China’s state buyer, following a stretch of procurement bans. China stands as BHP’s largest client, and iron ore is still the miner’s main source of cash, despite its ongoing push into copper.
April 24, 2026
Royal-Worn Russell & Bromley Shuts More Stores As Next Rescue Leaves Shoe Chain With Three Shops
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Royal-Worn Russell & Bromley Shuts More Stores As Next Rescue Leaves Shoe Chain With Three Shops

Russell & Bromley has closed additional UK locations this week, accelerating its ongoing store cull across the well-known footwear chain. Among the latest casualties: the Covent Garden branch is now shuttered. Bath and Harrogate were on the chopping block for April 23, and a Manchester Evening News post reported St Ann’s Square in Manchester would also lock its doors on the same date. Here’s where things stand: Next picked up Russell & Bromley’s name, IP, and just three stores in January, paying £2.5 million, and spent another £1.3 million for certain stock. The rest—33 stores and nine concessions—didn’t come with the deal.
April 24, 2026
United Utilities Group PLC’s £34 Million River Irwell Cleanup Comes With a Bill-Payer Test
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United Utilities Group PLC’s £34 Million River Irwell Cleanup Comes With a Bill-Payer Test

United Utilities Group PLC has kicked off water-quality projects topping £34 million across Bury, Prestwich and Whitefield, targeting the company’s promise to cut storm overflow discharges into the River Irwell and its tributaries. These overflow sites, designed to relieve pressure during heavy rainfall, have drawn scrutiny from regulators and locals alike. Timing is key here. Even as Ofwat’s 2025-30 price review is set to push customer costs higher, figures from the Consumer Council for Water reveal United Utilities’ average household bill jumping to £585 by 2029-30, up from £442 in 2024-25, excluding inflation.
April 24, 2026
ConvaTec Shares Drop Again as Wound-Care Warning Puts 2026 Growth Plan in Focus
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ConvaTec Shares Drop Again as Wound-Care Warning Puts 2026 Growth Plan in Focus

Convatec Group Plc dropped in London trading on Friday, putting the FTSE 100 medical-products company back in the spotlight. Investors are now sizing up its 2026 growth ambitions, with new signals of weakness emerging in certain segments of the wound-care market. Convatec shares finished the day at £2.21, down 1.69%—a steeper drop than the broader market. The closing price, according to MarketWatch, leaves the stock trading 29.05% beneath its 52-week high of £3.11.
April 24, 2026
Bunzl Shares Rise Again After Q1 Update: What the North America Rebound Means
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Bunzl Shares Rise Again After Q1 Update: What the North America Rebound Means

Bunzl closed 0.91% higher at 2,447 pence in London on Friday, chalking up a third consecutive gain. Investors stuck with the business supplies distributor after it reaffirmed its 2026 guidance in the latest first-quarter update. Shares have climbed 3.77% during the last five sessions and are now up 17.87% for the year, according to MarketScreener data. Bunzl is still working to win back investor confidence following turbulence in its North American business—the group’s biggest market. Reuters noted that soft demand and operational missteps in the region dragged on margins, while last year’s 2025 outlook downgrade and suspended buyback did nothing to help sentiment.
April 24, 2026
Severn Trent Plc Faces Fresh Test as Shropshire Water Outages Hit Amid Bill Hikes
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Severn Trent Plc Faces Fresh Test as Shropshire Water Outages Hit Amid Bill Hikes

Some Severn Trent Water customers in the TF6 and WV15 areas of Telford and Bridgnorth lost water or saw pressure drop on Friday, after two pump failures caused yet another headache for Severn Trent Plc. Reports included discoloured water, outages, and low pressure. Engineers were dispatched to reset the equipment once Severn Trent pinpointed the issue, according to Shropshire Live. Timing is key here. Water companies across England and Wales are pushing bills higher, aiming to cover a £104 billion investment plan running through 2030. The government, for its part, has criticized the current state of the privatised sector—calling it broken—and is vowing stricter checks on infrastructure. Looking at the numbers from Water UK, Severn Trent Water’s typical household bill
April 24, 2026
Jet2 Makes Major Summer Flight Price Promise As Fuel Fears Hit UK Holidays
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Jet2 Makes Major Summer Flight Price Promise As Fuel Fears Hit UK Holidays

Jet2 on Friday scrapped all post-booking surcharges for its flights and package holidays, putting an end to extra charges meant to offset things like jet fuel spikes. The company clarified that the price customers see when they book—on its website, app, through its contact centre, or via independent agents—will be the price they pay, except for resort tourist taxes. “Customers should not face additional costs after booking,” CEO Steve Heapy said, emphasising that travellers are “locking in their price” with Jet2. The shift comes as tighter fuel supplies begin to push up prices for summer trips—even though UK carriers haven't flagged a domestic shortage yet. The UK government maintains airlines aren’t experiencing a jet fuel shortfall right now, but it
April 24, 2026
Prudential plc India Bet Grows as Bharti Insurance Sale Talks Surface
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Prudential plc India Bet Grows as Bharti Insurance Sale Talks Surface

Bharti Group is negotiating to offload up to 85% of its life insurance arm to Prudential plc, The Economic Times said Friday, pointing to a possible valuation between ₹70 billion and ₹80 billion. The report, which referenced several sources close to the talks, noted that representatives from both firms would not comment. Timing’s a factor here for investors, with Prudential juggling both cash returns and investments in growth. Back in March, the insurer reported that 2025 new business profit, measured by traditional embedded value, climbed 12% to $2.78 billion. CEO Anil Wadhwani, for his part, said the group is sticking to “disciplined capital allocation” and keeping its eye on long-term shareholder value.
April 24, 2026
Tesco PLC Buyback Starts: £750 Million Return Moves Ahead as War Risk Clouds Grocery Outlook
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Tesco PLC Buyback Starts: £750 Million Return Moves Ahead as War Risk Clouds Grocery Outlook

Tesco PLC snapped up 415,797 shares for cancellation on April 23, marking the grocer’s second reported buyback since rolling out its new £750 million programme. Britain’s largest supermarket chain wasted little time resuming shareholder payouts after posting its annual numbers. The average price paid was 481.00 pence per share, according to a regulatory filing. The clock’s ticking for Tesco. The retailer is under pressure to keep returning cash to shareholders, even as the UK grocery sector contends with rising fuel prices, stubborn food inflation, and a less certain profit picture tied to the Middle East conflict.
April 24, 2026
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