News 4 March 2026 - 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, 7:55 PM EDT Coles Drops Greencross Deal Talks With TPG, Cites Strategic Focus July 16, 2026, 7:53 PM EDT. Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) said it has ended discussions with TPG Capital over buying Greencross Pet Wellness Company. Talks started July 1, 2026, but the two sides did not settle on a price or terms. Coles said it will keep a strict approach to deals, focusing on strategy and shareholder value. The supermarket group’s shares are up 10% in the past year, outpacing the S&P/ASX 200 Index. Coles
July 16, 2026
Dollar back in favor as Iran war jolts energy prices and flips euro bets
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Dollar back in favor as Iran war jolts energy prices and flips euro bets

This week, the U.S. dollar stuck close to its latest peaks. The Iran war sent energy prices sharply higher, prompting investors to shell out for euro downside protection. The pivot is catching up to markets now. For most of 2026, traders had loaded up on the opposite side—expecting a weaker dollar and brighter prospects overseas. Instead, the conflict upended those trades, rattling inflation forecasts in Europe and sending investors scrambling to trim positions in a hurry.
March 5, 2026
CBA dividend update: Commonwealth Bank says 13.5% will reinvest as March payout nears
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CBA dividend update: Commonwealth Bank says 13.5% will reinvest as March payout nears

About 13.5% of Commonwealth Bank of Australia's ordinary shares are set to take part in the lender’s dividend reinvestment plan for its A$2.35 interim payout, due March 30, according to an ASX filing Wednesday. CBA also posted the exchange rates for shareholders receiving dividends in pounds sterling or New Zealand dollars. The reinvestment price, with no discount, will be based on a 20-day volume-weighted average. With the dividend reinvestment plan—DRP for short—shareholders can opt for new shares in place of a cash payout. That participation rate? It’s a key variable: the higher it goes, the less money flows out as cash dividends and the more gets recycled right back into the bank as equity.
March 5, 2026
BHP Group Ltd says Queensland coal returns are zero, shuts Mackay FutureFit Academy
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BHP Group Ltd says Queensland coal returns are zero, shuts Mackay FutureFit Academy

BHP Group Ltd’s coal joint venture told employees in a March 2 email, seen by Platts on March 4, that Queensland operations can’t “compete for investment”—returns are down to zero, the message said, pointing to steep royalties, higher costs, and unstable coal prices. The company is shutting down its FutureFit Academy in Mackay in its current form, planning to consolidate training out in Western Australia instead. Chair Ross McEwan spelled it out: “zero investment into Queensland.” For Queensland Resources Council chief Janette Hewson, coal royalties remain among the sector’s top worries. BHP’s half-year numbers are in: the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance posted an underlying return on capital employed of 0% for the six months to Dec. 31, 2025 — essentially flat
March 5, 2026
CSL buyback hits 4 million shares as Australian biotech keeps buying after profit shock
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CSL buyback hits 4 million shares as Australian biotech keeps buying after profit shock

CSL Ltd accelerated its on-market share buyback this Wednesday, snapping up 59,751 shares for A$8.57 million, according to an exchange filing. So far, the company has bought back 4.03 million shares, spending close to A$739 million under the buyback plan, which is capped at US$750 million. Persistent buying stands out, with CSL still working to calm investor nerves after its first-half earnings dropped and the company swapped leaders last month. Management is aiming for a stronger second half and stuck to its full-year guidance, while also bumping up its buyback.
March 5, 2026
Macquarie’s quiet ASX shuffle: new Austal stake, Nine holding cut
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Macquarie’s quiet ASX shuffle: new Austal stake, Nine holding cut

Macquarie Group has popped up on the share registers of two Australian firms in new filings—its stake in Austal now tops the 5% disclosure threshold, while at Nine Entertainment, Macquarie has trimmed its holding. These moves stand out: “substantial holder” notices are often the first signal of stake-building, a shakeup in investor makeup, or tweaks in risk strategy among large managers. All of this is happening while local investors are already on edge, questioning who’s picking up which shares—and their motives—after a string of mid-cap deals and contentious boardroom battles.
March 5, 2026
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) stock jumps on Telus equity stake in Canada satellite-to-phone plan
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AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) stock jumps on Telus equity stake in Canada satellite-to-phone plan

Shares of AST SpaceMobile surged Wednesday, following news that Telus Corp of Canada will invest in the company. Telus also plans to fund ground infrastructure through a deal aimed at expanding satellite-to-phone coverage throughout Canada. The agreement comes as telecom operators hunt for solutions to dead zones and seek backup connections in the event of storms, wildfires or conflict taking out ground-based networks. The idea, known as direct-to-device, is simple: any standard smartphone links directly to a satellite—no special handset required.
March 5, 2026
CrowdStrike earnings: FY2027 outlook edges above estimates as AI worries keep shares jumpy
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CrowdStrike earnings: FY2027 outlook edges above estimates as AI worries keep shares jumpy

CrowdStrike on Tuesday aimed for fiscal 2027 revenue ahead of what Wall Street had penciled in, betting demand for its AI-powered security offerings isn’t letting up. The stock closed up 1.7%, only to slip 0.8% in late trading. Cybersecurity stocks have taken some hits recently, as investors worry over Anthropic’s Claude Code Security tool. Truist Securities analyst Junaid Siddiqui described the muted move as “a good outcome.”
March 5, 2026
Robinhood stock jumps ahead of JFK “Take Flight” event as CFO previews $5.5 billion February inflows
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Robinhood stock jumps ahead of JFK “Take Flight” event as CFO previews $5.5 billion February inflows

Robinhood Markets, Inc. climbed roughly 8% Wednesday, ahead of a product keynote at New York’s JFK Airport where CEO Vlad Tenev plans to roll out new features. The company said it would “introduce a new wave of products designed to help customers build, grow, and plan wealth across every stage of life,” with the livestream set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Timing’s key here. Robinhood wants to break out of its trading-heavy mold—market volume swings still hit hard. The company’s banking on new offerings to attract more stable client cash, hoping that will keep accounts around, whether or not crypto and options are running hot.
March 5, 2026
Circle Internet Group stock jumps again as rates drive the USDC story
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Circle Internet Group stock jumps again as rates drive the USDC story

Shares of Circle Internet Group, Inc. finished Wednesday at $105.27, up 5.7%, extending their winning streak to three sessions. Since Monday’s close, the stock has climbed roughly 10%. Mizuho Securities bumped its price target on the shares up to $100, from its earlier $90, sticking with a neutral stance. The firm flagged inflation risk if oil keeps climbing. “Rising oil prices could drive up inflation, lowering the odds of rate cuts,” wrote analyst Dan Dolev. CEO Jeremy Allaire, for his part, called the quarter “another step forward” for the company.
March 5, 2026
Oracle joins White House power pledge for AI data centers as Oracle earnings near
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Oracle joins White House power pledge for AI data centers as Oracle earnings near

Oracle joined heavyweights Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft, and Amazon at the White House on Wednesday, all signing on to a pledge they’re calling the “Ratepayer Protection Pledge.” The aim: prevent new data centers from driving up electricity costs for residential and small business customers. Under the agreement, the companies commit to adding or procuring extra power for their sites and footing the bill for necessary grid upgrades, as lawmakers and communities ramp up pressure on tech expansion leading up to November’s midterm elections. Even so, Jon Gordon, director at Advanced Energy United, flagged a bigger snag: “The real problem is the inability to get generation online fast enough.” Oracle’s announcement comes as the company ramps up spending on cloud infrastructure to
March 5, 2026
Western Digital says AI video boom could lift hard-drive pricing into 2026
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Western Digital says AI video boom could lift hard-drive pricing into 2026

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 4, 2026, 15:35 PST Western Digital has already locked in firm purchase orders from its biggest cloud clients for all of calendar 2026—and some of those deals actually extend out to 2027 and even 2028, according to the company’s chief executive, who cited demand driven by artificial intelligence workloads during an investor update this week. Looking ahead to 2026, finance chief projections call for average selling price per terabyte to rise by a mid- to high-single-digit percentage year over year.
March 5, 2026
Fortnite’s back: Alphabet’s Google loosens Play Store billing and cuts Android fees
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Fortnite’s back: Alphabet’s Google loosens Play Store billing and cuts Android fees

Alphabet’s Google on Wednesday announced it will allow Android app developers to offer their own billing options next to Google Play, trimming developer fees as well. The move paves the way for Epic Games’ Fortnite to make a global comeback on the Play Store after five years of dispute. Alphabet Class C shares edged down 0.1% in late trading, closing at $303.45. This shift cuts right to the heart of the app-store fight: control over payments and distribution on mobile devices, and the gatekeeper’s cut. Google said in a U.S. policy update that it’s now reached a fresh settlement with Epic, asking a federal judge to swap in what it called a “Modified Injunction” to replace the current court order
March 5, 2026
Morgan Stanley layoffs: Wall Street bank cuts 2,500 jobs across all divisions
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Morgan Stanley layoffs: Wall Street bank cuts 2,500 jobs across all divisions

Morgan Stanley has cut 2,500 jobs throughout its divisions, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited sources with knowledge of the situation. The bank hasn’t responded to a Reuters request for comment, and Reuters said it was unable to confirm the Journal’s report. The Journal reports Morgan Stanley has cut around 3% of its 83,000 employees, most of those layoffs hitting on Wednesday after starting last week. The staff reductions target private bankers, back-office support, and certain mortgage roles in wealth management. According to the article, shifting business needs, changing locations, and employee performance all played a part.
March 5, 2026
Strategy Inc surges with bitcoin above $72,000 as latest filing details fresh buys
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Strategy Inc surges with bitcoin above $72,000 as latest filing details fresh buys

Strategy Inc shares jumped roughly 10% Wednesday, riding a wave of gains as bitcoin broke past $72,000 and sent a group of crypto-linked stocks higher. This matters: Strategy, chaired by veteran bitcoin bull Michael Saylor, has effectively turned itself into an equity-market stand-in for bitcoin. Years of funneling both cash and fresh capital into crypto have led it here.
March 5, 2026
Meta signs White House power pledge as AI data centers put U.S. electricity bills in focus
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Meta signs White House power pledge as AI data centers put U.S. electricity bills in focus

Meta Platforms joined Amazon, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle and xAI on Wednesday in signing the White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, agreeing to shoulder the additional power and grid costs linked to their data centers—those sprawling server hubs. The White House says the initiative is designed to prevent those costs from showing up on regular consumers’ electricity bills. The Trump administration is deploying the pledge just before the November midterms, pitching it as a way to address voter unease about rising utility costs linked to the boom in AI data centers. According to one administration official, the industry still needs to win over “the hearts and minds of Americans,” especially after multiple projects stalled or were scrapped in various states due
March 4, 2026
Gold price today rebounds above $5,100 as Iran war keeps safe-haven demand alive
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Gold price today rebounds above $5,100 as Iran war keeps safe-haven demand alive

Gold prices jumped Wednesday, lifted by heightened tension in the Middle East and a pause in the dollar’s climb. Spot gold gained 0.7%, reaching $5,120.71 an ounce as of 1831 GMT. U.S. gold futures for April edged up 0.2% to settle at $5,134.70. Silver rose 1.3% to $83.07, while both platinum and palladium moved higher as well. “The dollar has seen a pullback, which is providing some support,” noted Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist at Zaner Metals. Traders stayed on edge, despite the brief rebound. Gold had spiked in late January, hitting a record $5,594.82, but sharp swings since then have left the market wary, Robert Gottlieb, previously head of precious metals at Koch Supply and Trading,
March 4, 2026
Wall Street snaps back: Nasdaq leads as Iran diplomacy talk cools oil fears
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Wall Street snaps back: Nasdaq leads as Iran diplomacy talk cools oil fears

Stocks bounced back Wednesday, lifted after Iran indicated it might be open to talks and the White House detailed measures to cushion the oil market—relieving inflation worries that rattled investors just a day before. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.29%, with the S&P 500 up 0.78% and the Dow gaining 0.49%, preliminary figures show. “That combination is giving the market some optimism,” said Jim Awad of Clearstead Advisors. Still, Richard Bernstein at Richard Bernstein Advisors noted a protracted conflict “could mean more volatility.” https://www.reuters.com/business/wall-street-futures-slip-middle-east-conflict-oil-driven-inflation-concerns-2026-03-04/ The rebound is significant as investors weigh whether war-fueled energy price swings could keep the Federal Reserve in a restrictive stance longer than expected, even while some economic indicators soften. Bond traders have delayed their bets on
March 4, 2026
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