News 15 May 2026 - 16 May 2026

Unilever in focus as traders look to Monday open after slump
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Unilever in focus as traders look to Monday open after slump

Unilever closed Friday at 4,207p in London, down 0.39%, near its April low after a week of selling in UK markets. Reuters reported Blackstone and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice are exploring bids for Magnum Ice Cream, spun out of Unilever less than six months ago. Unilever retains a 19.9% stake in Magnum. The FTSE 100 fell 1.7% on Friday amid political and inflation concerns.
May 16, 2026
BP Shares Outpaced FTSE; Monday Trading Tied to Oil Shock
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BP Shares Outpaced FTSE; Monday Trading Tied to Oil Shock

BP shares closed Friday up 2.13% at 552.20 pence, bucking a 1.7% drop in the FTSE 100. Reuters reported BP plans to dismantle its pipeline gas trading team, shifting staff to LNG and cutting around 20 roles. BP is also considering selling some Egyptian gas assets after output there fell 40% in 2025. Brent crude settled at $109.26 a barrel, up 3.35% on shipping concerns in the Strait of Hormuz.
May 16, 2026
National Grid plc’s £70 Billion Grid Bet Just Hit a Storm-Cost Test
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National Grid’s 8% Drop Turns Monday Into a Test of the UK Dividend Trade

National Grid shares plunged 7.94% to 1,188p Friday amid a sharp selloff in UK utilities, following a miss on full-year profit estimates and rising storm costs in its U.S. business. The FTSE 100 fell 1.7% as gilt yields spiked on political and inflation fears. National Grid committed to at least £70 billion in capital spending over five years, reporting record annual investment and a 48.49p dividend.
May 16, 2026
Bitcoin drop knocks out $500 million in bullish crypto bets as inflation fears weigh on markets
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Bitcoin drop knocks out $500 million in bullish crypto bets as inflation fears weigh on markets

Bitcoin dropped below $78,000 Saturday, triggering over $581 million in crypto liquidations as leveraged bets unwound, according to CoinGlass. Solana, XRP, and Ether also fell, with Solana down 5% and Ether near $2,189. The selloff followed rising Treasury yields and oil prices, despite a Senate panel advancing a crypto regulation bill. The largest single liquidation was a $21.6 million BTCUSDT order on Bitget.
May 16, 2026
UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 16.05.2026
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UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 16.05.2026

LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: May 16, 2026, 12:00 AM EDTUpdated: May 16, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT Australia Nail Polish Stickers Market Forecast to 2035 | Key Trends and Challenges May 16, 2026, 11:57 PM EDT. The Australia nail polish stickers market relies heavily on imports, with over 85% sourced from China and Southeast Asia. Mass-market and drugstore segments make up about 55-60% of sales volume, while direct-to-consumer (DTC) and specialty beauty channels grow 8-12% annually, driven by trend-led designs and social commerce. The market is projected to grow at a compound annual rate between 6-9% through 2035, supported by rising demand
May 16, 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
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Stock Market Today

  • Oil prices drop below $100 on Iran peace deal hopes, markets rise
    May 25, 2026, 8:37 AM EDT. Oil prices fell below $100 a barrel for the first time in two weeks as hopes grow for a US-Iran peace deal. Brent crude dropped 5.5% to just under $98. The conflict's focal point remains Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy chokepoint. Equity markets responded positively, with Japan's Nikkei up nearly 3% and Europe's Stoxx 600 rising 0.8%. The dollar weakened while the pound hit its highest level since May. Analysts caution markets remain wary as past negotiations have stalled. Inflation fears have driven central banks to consider further rate hikes, with the Bank of England expected to raise rates twice in 2024.