News 13 May 2026

Illumination Acquisition stock stuck near $10; what could shift ILLU this week
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Illumination Acquisition stock stuck near $10; what could shift ILLU this week

Illumination Acquisition Corp I’s Class A shares held at $9.88 with just 401 shares traded ahead of the Memorial Day market closure, Nasdaq data showed. The SPAC has not announced a merger target since its $230 million IPO in March and reported no revenue or operations in its latest filings. Magnetar Financial disclosed a 5.91% stake this month. U.S. markets reopen Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern.
May 26, 2026
Sage Group Shares Slide Before Results as AI Tax Bet Faces First Test
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Sage Group Shares Slide Before Results as AI Tax Bet Faces First Test

Sage Group shares fell 3.55% to 847.6p in London Wednesday, underperforming the FTSE 100, after launching a new AI tool for UK tax reporting. The update comes as the UK’s Making Tax Digital for Income Tax regime takes effect, requiring more digital submissions. Sage continues a £300 million share buyback, with 1.44 million shares repurchased Tuesday. Half-year results are due May 21, with analysts expecting 9.8% organic revenue growth.
May 13, 2026
Imperial Brands Stock Holds 2026 Guidance as Dividend Rises, But Iran Risk Clouds the Trade
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Imperial Brands Stock Holds 2026 Guidance as Dividend Rises, But Iran Risk Clouds the Trade

Imperial Brands kept its 2026 outlook after first-half adjusted operating profit rose 0.6% at constant currency to £1.64 billion. The company raised its interim dividend by 4% and continued a £1.45 billion buyback. Management warned that the Middle East conflict could increase costs and hit demand but reported no material impact yet. Tobacco volumes fell 1.5%, while NGP net revenue rose 7.5%.
May 13, 2026
Tesco Court Loss Puts £4bn Equal-Pay Fight Back in Focus as £750m Buyback Rolls On
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Tesco Court Loss Puts £4bn Equal-Pay Fight Back in Focus as £750m Buyback Rolls On

Tesco lost most of its Court of Appeal challenge over evidence rules in a major equal-pay case, leaving open the possibility of a multi-billion pound payout to shop workers. The court upheld earlier rulings, allowing tribunals to use Tesco’s own manuals to compare job demands. Over 60,000 workers are pursuing claims. Tesco continues a £750 million share buyback amid ongoing legal uncertainty.
May 13, 2026
Antofagasta Stock Jumps as Copper Squeeze Sends Chile Miner Back Toward Its Highs
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Antofagasta Stock Jumps as Copper Squeeze Sends Chile Miner Back Toward Its Highs

Antofagasta shares jumped 8.7% to 4,299p in London Wednesday as copper prices surged above $14,000 a ton, nearing record highs amid mine disruptions and tight supply. The Chilean miner’s stock remains below its 52-week peak. First-quarter copper output fell 7.6% year on year, but full-year guidance was unchanged. Peers including Anglo American and Glencore also rose as copper futures hit new highs.
May 13, 2026
Diageo plc’s €700 Million Guinness Bet Opens in Ireland as U.S. Spirits Slump Bites
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Diageo plc’s €700 Million Guinness Bet Opens in Ireland as U.S. Spirits Slump Bites

Diageo opened a €300 million brewery in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, and plans an additional €400 million investment at the site focused on Guinness and Guinness 0.0. The new facility will more than double capacity and begin construction in 2026. Shares fell 1.46% in London despite recent sales growth, as North American spirits sales remain weak. The project created over 50 permanent jobs, with more expected from the second brewery.
May 13, 2026
Taylor Wimpey Shares Slip Below 80p as Dividend Warning Raises Fresh Questions
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Taylor Wimpey Shares Slip Below 80p as Dividend Warning Raises Fresh Questions

Taylor Wimpey shares fell to 79.10p, down 0.63% as Deutsche Bank cut its target price to 96p from 122p, citing weaker pricing, higher build costs, and dividend concerns. The UK home construction sector dropped 1.28%. Polymarket traders put an 83% chance on no change at the Bank of England’s June meeting. Taylor Wimpey’s order book dropped to £2.23 billion from £2.34 billion.
May 13, 2026
Legal & General’s £1.388 Billion Claims Payout Puts LGEN’s Retail Strategy in the Spotlight
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Legal & General’s £1.388 Billion Claims Payout Puts LGEN’s Retail Strategy in the Spotlight

Legal & General Group Plc paid over £1.388 billion in UK protection claims in 2025, covering more than 26,000 cases and averaging £3.8 million daily. Retail Protection accounted for nearly £993 million, while Group Protection paid £396 million. The company is also buying back shares, with 100.5 million repurchased for £253.2 million by May 8. Over 40% of retail protection claims now start online.
May 13, 2026
BT Group Stock Watch: UC Edge Launch Raises Stakes Before May 21 Results
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BT Group Stock Watch: UC Edge Launch Raises Stakes Before May 21 Results

BT International launched UC Edge, a managed voice service for multinationals using multiple workplace platforms, now live with initial deployments in regulated industries. The launch comes eight days before BT’s full-year results on May 21, which investors are watching closely. The service lets companies run calls across Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Webex without overhauling phone systems.
May 13, 2026
BAE Systems plc’s New Thales Subsea Drone Push Puts Defence Demand Back in Focus
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BAE Systems plc’s New Thales Subsea Drone Push Puts Defence Demand Back in Focus

BAE Systems and Thales will demonstrate a new intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance mast on BAE’s Herne XLAUV underwater drone in 2027. The mast, developed by Thales in Glasgow, is designed to capture 360-degree images rapidly, reducing exposure time above water. No contract value was disclosed. BAE recently reaffirmed its 2026 financial guidance, forecasting sales growth of 7% to 9%.
May 13, 2026
Aviva Stock Alert: £350 Million Buyback Takes Focus Before Q1 Update
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Aviva Stock Alert: £350 Million Buyback Takes Focus Before Q1 Update

Aviva bought 900,000 shares for cancellation on May 12 at an average price of 620.38 pence, continuing its £350 million buyback. The insurer will issue its first-quarter trading update at 0700 BST on May 14. Aviva shares traded at 616.40 pence, down 0.61% in afternoon trade. The buyback follows last year’s £3.7 billion Direct Line acquisition and a 25% rise in 2025 operating profit.
May 13, 2026
Vodafone Stock’s Big Test: Germany Spoils the Turnaround Story After FY26 Results
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Vodafone Stock’s Big Test: Germany Spoils the Turnaround Story After FY26 Results

Vodafone shares rose 1% in London after a steep drop, as annual revenue climbed 8% to €40.5 billion but earnings missed consensus. The company lost 77,000 mobile and 90,000 broadband customers in Germany, which accounts for 37% of core profit. Vodafone guided for €11.9–12.2 billion in adjusted EBITDAaL for the new year. Full control of VodafoneThree in the UK is expected in late 2026.
May 13, 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • Oil Prices Drop Nearly 7% on US-Iran Peace Talks and Strait of Hormuz Reopening Hope
    May 25, 2026, 6:19 PM EDT. Oil prices fell sharply on Monday amid optimism over US-Iran peace talks potentially reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil shipping route. Brent crude dropped nearly 7% to $96.30 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate futures declined 6.5% to $90.88. The talks in Doha discussed a memorandum of understanding to halt the war and provide negotiators 60 days for a final deal, raising hopes for resumed oil flows. However, analysts caution normalization of oil supply could take months due to damaged infrastructure and ongoing regional risks. Ship-tracking data showed some tankers recently passed through the strait, but overall flows remain restricted. The market remains sensitive to geopolitical developments and physical oil flow constraints in the Middle East.