News 5 March 2026

Etihad Orders 10 Boeing Jets, Raising Talk of Hard-to-Get 787 Slots
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Stock Market Today: Live Updates 16.07.2026

LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: July 16, 2026, 4:00 AM EDTUpdated: July 16, 2026, 7:52 PM EDT Regis Resources (ASX: RRL) Lifts FY27 Output Target, Updates AISC and Cash Outlook July 16, 2026, 7:52 PM EDT. Regis Resources (ASX: RRL) has lifted its FY27 gold production forecast to 360,000-400,000 ounces. The miner put all-in sustaining costs at $2,990-$3,390 an ounce, which includes $88 an ounce from non-cash stockpile shifts. Cash and bullion are now expected to total $1.184 billion by June 2026. Duketon is set for higher output, but Tropicana may see a slight dip as lower-grade stockpiles are processed. Growth capex
July 16, 2026
Standard Chartered raises 2026 Brent forecast as Hormuz shock keeps oil above $80
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Standard Chartered raises 2026 Brent forecast as Hormuz shock keeps oil above $80

Standard Chartered PLC bumped up its Brent crude outlook for 2026, flagging upside risk if Middle East tensions take a bigger toll on supply or shipping lines. The bank now expects Brent to hit $74 a barrel in the first quarter of 2026, up from $62. For the second quarter, the projection moves to $67 from $63. The 2026 average climbs to $70 a barrel from the earlier $63.50 call. According to Standard Chartered, the forward curve—futures prices across the strip—has strengthened as markets take another look at tight spare capacity and possible bottlenecks, including the Strait of Hormuz. The move hits as volatility continues. Brent climbed $2.44, or 3%, to $83.84 a barrel by 0722 GMT on Thursday, chalking
March 5, 2026
Lloyds tipped as front-runner for Aegon UK business as bidders circle
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Lloyds tipped as front-runner for Aegon UK business as bidders circle

Lloyds Banking Group plc has emerged as the frontrunner after the opening bids for Aegon’s UK arm, according to Financial News, which cited sources close to the talks. Both Phoenix Group and Canada Life have submitted initial proposals too. The business could fetch anywhere from 1 billion to 1.5 billion pounds. Final bids are expected next month, with a decision likely by April. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are on advisory duty. The prospective buyers declined to comment, Financial News noted. The shift is significant—banks are chasing more fee revenue from wealth and pensions, with the tailwind from rising interest rates starting to dissipate. Back in February, NatWest signed off on a £2.7 billion purchase of Evelyn Partners. RBC Capital Markets
March 5, 2026
Unilever PLC’s India unit closes 3.07 billion-rupee Nutritionalab exit in wellness reshuffle
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Unilever PLC’s India unit closes 3.07 billion-rupee Nutritionalab exit in wellness reshuffle

Hindustan Unilever, the Indian arm of Unilever PLC, has wrapped up the sale of its entire stake in Nutritionalab Private Limited, pocketing roughly 3.07 billion Indian rupees, a stock exchange filing dated March 4 shows. The company offloaded its whole 19.8% interest, with the disclosure made under India’s “Regulation 30” rules — a requirement for listed companies to report any material developments. This isn’t a transformative move for the group by itself. What’s at stake: Unilever remains under pressure to show that zeroing in on higher-margin segments can deliver, even as demand wobbles—particularly in major emerging economies.
March 5, 2026
Glencore trims Century Aluminum stake below 30% in $327 million share sale
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Glencore trims Century Aluminum stake below 30% in $327 million share sale

Glencore plc has trimmed its holding in Century Aluminum, dropping to just under 30% after offloading 6.3 million shares through a block trade, according to a regulatory filing. The unit sold the shares at $51.75 apiece under Rule 144, which governs the resale of sizable holdings in the U.S. Century remains Glencore’s top shareholder after the cut, but the move comes as investors wait for more direction on Glencore’s portfolio following the miner’s short-lived, unsuccessful merger talks with larger rival Rio Tinto earlier this year. “The next step may be to sell off assets individually ... to create a more concentrated copper and trading business,” said Iain Pyle, investment manager at Aberdeen.
March 5, 2026
BP caught in UK windfall tax limbo as Reeves flags Iran war price spike
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BP caught in UK windfall tax limbo as Reeves flags Iran war price spike

BP Plc’s outlook for the North Sea windfall tax just got murkier. Finance minister Rachel Reeves signaled that the timeline for lifting the levy is now in question, citing renewed energy price volatility tied to the Iran conflict. This comes at a tricky time. Higher oil and gas prices might pad earnings, but the tax still bites—and with household bills rising, political pressure is only getting louder.
March 5, 2026
Aviva profit jumps 25% as £350m buyback returns — what traders are watching now
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Aviva profit jumps 25% as £350m buyback returns — what traders are watching now

Aviva reported a 25% jump in its 2025 operating profit to £2.203 billion on Thursday, and is bringing back share buybacks with a £350 million program. The board also approved a 10% increase to the total dividend. “We are commencing a £350 million buyback,” chief executive Amanda Blanc said, noting the group hit its targets a year ahead of schedule. Citigroup Global Markets will start picking up shares for Aviva’s buyback on March 6, wrapping up by Aug. 6, with the stock bought in the market and then sold back to Aviva for cancellation, according to a regulatory filing. That timing isn’t just a footnote—insurers like Aviva use buybacks to hand cash back quickly, and for investors, the launch date
March 5, 2026
Rolls-Royce buyback rolls on: fresh share purchases and two retired U.S. generals join North America board
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Rolls-Royce buyback rolls on: fresh share purchases and two retired U.S. generals join North America board

On Thursday, Rolls-Royce Holdings reported fresh buybacks from its ongoing £2.3 billion repurchase plan, picking up more shares on March 4 to cancel them. These purchases mark some of the earliest daily disclosures since the company rolled out its 2026 program with last week’s annual results, giving investors a first look at the pace of planned cash returns. Fewer shares from buybacks could push up earnings per share, assuming profits don’t slip.
March 5, 2026
Brambles Limited share buyback update: here’s what the latest A$3.9m repurchase shows
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Brambles Limited share buyback update: here’s what the latest A$3.9m repurchase shows

Brambles Ltd scooped up another 157,166 shares Wednesday, spending A$3.9 million as part of its ongoing on-market buyback, which tops out at US$400 million. Since launching the program on Sept. 5, 2025, the company’s tally has reached about 12.9 million shares at a cost close to A$312 million. Brambles still has 123.8 million shares left to buy under the 136.7 million-share ceiling. Prices on Wednesday ranged from A$24.71 to A$25.16 per share, according to its ASX filing. With an on-market buyback, a company steps in to purchase its own shares right off the exchange, then cancels them—so the total share count drops. Timing is key here: this is cash going straight back to shareholders, and it pushes earnings per share
March 5, 2026
ESA releases new JUICE photo of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as fresh data reaches Earth
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ESA releases new JUICE photo of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as fresh data reaches Earth

The European Space Agency has published a fresh shot of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, picked up by its Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, which is heading for Jupiter. The image, snapped by Juice’s JANUS science camera on Nov. 6, 2025, from a distance of roughly 66 million km, shows a luminous gas halo trailing a distinctive tail. According to ESA, JANUS logged over 120 images during the session. 3I/ATLAS has become just the third confirmed interstellar visitor to sweep through our solar system, following 1I/‘Oumuamua’s 2017 flyby and 2I/Borisov in 2019. The ATLAS survey telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile, picked it up on July 1, 2025. According to ESA, the comet barreled past the Sun at speeds topping 250,000 km/h. Earth was
March 5, 2026
Whitehaven Coal buyback update: 65,440 shares snapped up as dividend date nears
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Whitehaven Coal buyback update: 65,440 shares snapped up as dividend date nears

Whitehaven Coal Limited picked up 65,440 shares on March 3, spending A$534,770, according to a Wednesday filing. The company paid between A$8.05 and A$8.25 per share. Since launching its on-market buyback on Feb. 20, Whitehaven has bought 698,009 shares, with the running total now near A$5.5 million. UBS Securities Australia is overseeing the program, which has a ceiling of A$32 million and is due to finish on June 30. Whitehaven’s steady share buybacks are notable, with the company aiming to keep cash flowing to shareholders despite a hit to earnings from weaker coal prices in the first half of fiscal 2026. For the six months through Dec. 31, the miner logged underlying EBITDA of A$446 million, while net debt climbed
March 5, 2026
Orica buyback clock ticks: ASX-listed explosives group spends another A$5m on shares
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Orica buyback clock ticks: ASX-listed explosives group spends another A$5m on shares

Orica Limited snapped up 211,686 shares on Wednesday, shelling out A$4.95 million as part of its ongoing buy-back. Prices ranged from A$23.29 to A$23.97 per share. To date, the company has spent about A$484 million buying back around 23.2 million shares through the program, with Goldman Sachs Australia acting as broker, according to a filing. This update lands as the buyback enters its last few weeks, with the company nearly out of headroom to use the full authorised amount. Buybacks shrink the share count—so if profits don’t budge, earnings per share can get a lift.
March 5, 2026
Mineral Resources Limited’s CSI unit hits record 166Mt output, lifts mining services EBITDA to $488m
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Mineral Resources Limited’s CSI unit hits record 166Mt output, lifts mining services EBITDA to $488m

Perth, March 5, 2026, 15:09 GMT+8 Mineral Resources Ltd reported a record 166 million tonnes mined by its services division in the first half of fiscal 2026, with $488 million in EBITDA — up 29% from a year earlier. The company credited both new work for external clients and the Onslow Iron project ramp-up for the boost. Subsidiary CSI Mining Services operated 28 crushing plants, with their combined installed capacity reaching 167 million tonnes per year.
March 5, 2026
DroneShield unlocks 1.3 million new shares as staff options vest — and selling may follow
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DroneShield unlocks 1.3 million new shares as staff options vest — and selling may follow

DroneShield Limited has lodged for quotation of 1,335,000 new fully paid ordinary shares, the company said in an ASX filing, after performance options were exercised. The shares, issued at nil cost, come with no sale restrictions. Management flagged that a number of employees are likely to sell. The filing arrives with investors watching for any shifts in share supply, following a rally in Australian defence-tech stocks. DroneShield was up 8.48% at A$3.64 during the afternoon, tech and health names leading, according to an IG market report.
March 5, 2026
Wesfarmers shares slip as Australia spending data flags cautious shoppers
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Wesfarmers shares slip as Australia spending data flags cautious shoppers

Wesfarmers Limited ended Thursday’s session at A$75.57, slipping 0.66%. Another reminder for investors: Australian consumers remain careful with discretionary purchases. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures put household spending at A$78.98 billion for January, a lift for the month. But year-on-year growth edged down to 4.6%, after posting 5% in December. “Consumers tightened their belts at the start of 2026,” Oxford Economics Australia economist Harry McAuley noted.
March 5, 2026
Zip Co’s $50 million buyback is about to start — here’s why ASX:ZIP is in focus
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Zip Co’s $50 million buyback is about to start — here’s why ASX:ZIP is in focus

Sydney — March 5, 2026, 18:19 AEDT Zip Co Ltd shares held steady Thursday, pausing at A$1.765 by 1:51 p.m. AEDT, just a day before the company kicks off its planned A$50 million on-market buy-back, according to a filing. More details are posted on the company’s investor relations page. https://yourir.info/ezapi/announcements/dbc6d3e76afbc820/2A1654684/ZIP_Notification_of_buy_back_ZIP.pdf https://zip.co/investors
March 5, 2026
WiseTech Global share price leaps 7% — why ASX:WTC is back in play
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WiseTech Global share price leaps 7% — why ASX:WTC is back in play

WiseTech Global Ltd surged 7.1% to finish Thursday at A$47.57. Shares changed hands between A$45.05 and A$47.71, with roughly 2.11 million traded. The S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.44%. WiseTech’s share price remains squarely in the spotlight, following a period of pronounced volatility for Australian tech stocks. Investors have shown little patience for signs of slowing growth—selling hard, then snapping up shares again as sentiment flips.
March 5, 2026
Shareholders hit QBE Insurance Group Limited with fresh climate demands ahead of 2026 AGM
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Shareholders hit QBE Insurance Group Limited with fresh climate demands ahead of 2026 AGM

QBE Insurance Group Ltd said three shareholder resolutions have been put forward for its May 8 annual general meeting. The proposals push for more detail on climate risk and ask the board to review how it governs underwriting for new and expansionary oil and gas projects. One resolution seeks a change to QBE’s constitution to permit advisory shareholder resolutions. Another asks for QBE to spell out how much of its gross written premium — that's before reinsurance — could require withdrawal, reduced exposure, or higher prices as climate risks mount, plus climate-scenario disclosures. The board “welcomes this dialogue” and said it will weigh the resolutions before making voting recommendations, but did not identify the shareholders behind the push. Investors are
March 5, 2026
Northern Star dividend cutoff is here: key dates ASX:NST shareholders can’t miss
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Northern Star dividend cutoff is here: key dates ASX:NST shareholders can’t miss

Northern Star Resources Ltd’s interim dividend moves to its record date on Thursday, finalizing which shareholders get the A$0.25 per share payout later this month. The company named March 4 as the ex-dividend date, with a 5 p.m. Friday deadline for investors wanting to opt into the dividend reinvestment plan, according to an ASX notice. The catch: “ex-dividend” marks the cutoff. Shares bought after that point don’t include the dividend. This payout is “fully franked” as well, meaning it carries Australian tax credits that may boost after-tax returns for some domestic investors.
March 5, 2026
Qantas rolls out fee-free rebooking as Middle East airspace closure snarls Australia-Europe travel
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Qantas rolls out fee-free rebooking as Middle East airspace closure snarls Australia-Europe travel

Qantas Airways Limited on Thursday announced it’s waiving change fees, offering travel credits, or refunds for customers with Qantas-issued tickets scheduled between Feb. 28 and March 15 for flights involving the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Israel, Jordan, or Oman. According to the airline, travelers can rebook as far out as March 27 under this arrangement. Airlines rushed to patch up flight networks after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran closed large sections of the region’s airspace, sending ticket prices soaring on routes like Australia to Europe. Qantas finished the day up 1%, Cathay Pacific jumped 4%. Flightradar24 showed a handful of Emirates planes departing Dubai for places such as Sydney, but the majority of flights stayed grounded. “For now, I consider this
March 5, 2026
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