News 3 May 2026

JB Hi-Fi Shares Are Back in the Firing Line as Rate Fears Hit Australian Retail
···

JB Hi-Fi Shares Are Back in the Firing Line as Rate Fears Hit Australian Retail

JB Hi-Fi shares were hit with a new sell call from Fairmont Equities as analyst Michael Gable cited rate and fuel risks and weaker household budgets. The stock closed at A$78.05, down nearly 25% over the past year. The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to raise rates to 4.35% on May 5. JB Hi-Fi faces a class action over extended warranties, with more than 8 million potential group members.
May 3, 2026
Transurban Shares Are Back in Focus as Toll-Road Traffic Tests Fuel-Price Fears
···

Transurban Shares Are Back in Focus as Toll-Road Traffic Tests Fuel-Price Fears

Transurban shares closed Friday at A$14.06, up 0.43%, as investors await new company updates after the April 21 WestConnex debt filing. March-quarter average daily traffic rose 3.0% to 2.536 million trips, led by North America at 7.9%. The company priced A$1.21 billion in WestConnex notes, with settlement expected April 30. No new announcements are expected before Monday’s ASX open.
May 3, 2026
Qantas and Jetstar Cuts Stretch to September as Fuel Shock Hits Australian Travellers
···

Qantas and Jetstar Cuts Stretch to September as Fuel Shock Hits Australian Travellers

Qantas and Jetstar will extend domestic flight capacity cuts through September due to Australia’s ongoing aviation fuel shortage, also trimming international schedules for the July-September quarter. Sydney-Bengaluru flights will be suspended from August to October, while extra Perth-Rome and Paris flights will add 2,000 seats weekly to Europe. The federal government has secured new jet fuel shipments. Jet fuel prices have more than doubled since Qantas’s last update.
May 3, 2026
4DMedical Stock Faces Its Next Big Test After GSK Deal, ASX 200 Entry
···

4DMedical Stock Faces Its Next Big Test After GSK Deal, ASX 200 Entry

4DMedical shares last traded at A$4.02, valuing the lung-imaging software firm at about A$2.37 billion after a year of sharp price swings. The company reported 86,200 scans in the March quarter, up 79%, and began a one-year research contract with GSK on May 1. CT:VQ software adoption expanded to five U.S. academic centers, with Mayo Clinic evaluating. 4DMedical raised A$233 million this year and moved into the S&P/ASX 200.
May 3, 2026
South32 Stock: $3.3 Billion Hermosa Mine Reset Puts Its U.S. Growth Bet Under Pressure
···

South32 Stock: $3.3 Billion Hermosa Mine Reset Puts Its U.S. Growth Bet Under Pressure

South32 raised expected capital spending for its Taylor zinc-lead-silver project in Arizona to about US$3.3 billion, up US$1.1 billion from its earlier estimate. First production is now slated for the second half of fiscal 2028, with full output delayed to fiscal 2031. Shares dropped 4.63% over the week after the announcement. Analysts flagged concerns over higher costs and slower ramp-up despite a larger ore reserve.
May 3, 2026
Scentre Group’s $1.3 Billion Debt Buyback Hits 89% as Westfield Owner Heads for Redemption
···

Scentre Group’s $1.3 Billion Debt Buyback Hits 89% as Westfield Owner Heads for Redemption

Scentre Group received tenders for about 89% of its US$1.31 billion non-call 2030 subordinated notes, clearing the way for full redemption after a May 4 New York deadline. The company expects about A$3.2 billion in liquidity after settlement. Scentre shares last closed at A$3.77 ahead of the ASX open. First-quarter partner sales rose 5% to A$7.0 billion, with portfolio occupancy at 99.8%.
May 3, 2026
IAG’s $1.35 Billion RAC Insurance Deal Hits Its ACCC Deadline Today
···

IAG’s $1.35 Billion RAC Insurance Deal Hits Its ACCC Deadline Today

Insurance Australia Group’s A$1.35 billion bid for RAC Insurance faces a regulatory deadline Monday, with submissions due to the ACCC’s in-depth review. The deal would combine Western Australia’s two largest home and motor insurers. The ACCC is examining possible impacts on competition and repair services. IAG and RAC both say they remain confident and await the regulator’s decision.
May 3, 2026
Mirvac Group Eyes 4,000-Home Brisbane Prize as Visy Site Race Narrows
·····

Mirvac Group Eyes 4,000-Home Brisbane Prize as Visy Site Race Narrows

Mirvac Group and Lendlease are leading contenders to redevelop Brisbane’s former Visy glass site, according to the Courier-Mail, though Economic Development Queensland has not confirmed the shortlist. The 7.1-hectare riverfront property could support over 4,000 homes. Market proposals began in March, with vacant possession expected from March 2027. Mirvac’s securities closed at A$1.71 on May 1, near a 52-week low.
May 3, 2026
BlueScope Steel Limited’s $30 Question Deepens as Australia Opens New Dumping Probe
···

BlueScope Steel Limited’s $30 Question Deepens as Australia Opens New Dumping Probe

Australia’s Anti-Dumping Commission has launched a probe into alleged dumping of zinc-coated steel from South Korea and Vietnam following a complaint by BlueScope Steel. The inquiry names Dongkuk Steel Mill, POSCO Holdings, Hoa Sen Group, and Nam Kim Steel. A preliminary ruling could come after 60 days, with a final recommendation due by Oct. 2. BlueScope shares closed at A$30.00 on May 1.
May 3, 2026
Telstra Group Limited Shares Face a Big Week as Mobile Price Hikes Hit and Buyback Nears A$1.25 Billion
···

Telstra Group Limited Shares Face a Big Week as Mobile Price Hikes Hit and Buyback Nears A$1.25 Billion

Telstra will raise most postpaid mobile plan prices by A$4 a month from May 5, with the Basic plan moving to A$74 and Essential to A$84. The company has bought back 204.4 million shares for about A$1.03 billion, nearing its A$1.25 billion ceiling. Telstra serves 22.5 million retail mobile services and reported a first-half profit of A$1.12 billion in February.
May 3, 2026
Santos Limited’s Pikka Expansion Plan Puts ASX:STO Back on Oil Investors’ Radar
···

Santos Limited’s Pikka Expansion Plan Puts ASX:STO Back on Oil Investors’ Radar

Oil Search Alaska, a Santos subsidiary, has applied to expand the permitted C pad at the Pikka oil project on Alaska’s North Slope, according to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers notice. The plan would add 46,500 cubic yards of gravel fill and impact 3.44 acres of wetlands. Public comments on the proposal close May 25. Santos shares closed at A$8.02, up 0.25% on the ASX.
May 3, 2026
UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100’s Short Week Hinges on Oil, Rates and Diageo
···

UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100’s Short Week Hinges on Oil, Rates and Diageo

London markets will remain closed Monday for the Early May Bank Holiday, delaying trading after the FTSE 100’s third weekly loss, ending Friday at 10,363.93. The Bank of England held rates at 3.75% but warned of higher inflation risks from energy prices. Diageo will release a trading update Wednesday. BP is considering selling some or all of its UK North Sea assets, Reuters reported.
May 3, 2026
Fortescue Ltd Shares Face a China Pricing Test as $680 Million Green Power Bet Looms
···

Fortescue Ltd Shares Face a China Pricing Test as $680 Million Green Power Bet Looms

Fortescue faces pressure to reach a pricing deal with China Mineral Resources Group after BHP’s agreement with the state-backed buyer. The company approved a US$680 million Pilbara green-energy project and kept its 2026 shipment guidance at 195–205 million tonnes. March-quarter iron ore shipments hit a record 148.7 million tonnes for the nine months. Iron Bridge guidance was cut after cyclone disruptions.
May 3, 2026
ASX Week Ahead: RBA Rate Call Puts Australia’s Stock Market Rebound on the Line
···

ASX Week Ahead: RBA Rate Call Puts Australia’s Stock Market Rebound on the Line

ASX 200 futures signal a weaker open Monday ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s rate decision Tuesday. A Reuters poll found 30 of 33 economists expect a 25 basis point hike to 4.35% after March CPI jumped 4.6% and fuel prices soared 32.8%. The RBA will release its decision and policy statement at 2:30 p.m. AEST Tuesday. Friday’s session saw the ASX 200 rise 0.7% to 8,730.
May 3, 2026
Liontown Shares Just Hit a Near Three-Year High. Kathleen Valley’s Cash Flow Is Why
···

Liontown Shares Just Hit a Near Three-Year High. Kathleen Valley’s Cash Flow Is Why

Liontown shares surged 12.3% Friday to A$2.64, their highest in nearly three years, after reporting A$33 million in positive net cash flow for the March quarter and record spodumene sales from Kathleen Valley. The company kept FY2026 guidance unchanged and began early works on a planned mine expansion, with up to A$77 million to be spent before a final investment decision expected in early FY2027.
May 3, 2026
Lynas Rare Earths CEO Flags Texas Risk as U.S. Supply Push Enters New Phase
···

Lynas Rare Earths CEO Flags Texas Risk as U.S. Supply Push Enters New Phase

Lynas Rare Earths CEO Amanda Lacaze said the company’s U.S. supply deal is not among its top five contracts and cast doubt on the planned Texas plant’s future. The Pentagon-backed agreement includes a $110/kg price floor for NdPr oxide. Lynas reported March-quarter sales of A$265 million, more than double last year’s figure. Shares closed at A$19.14 on May 1 after a volatile week.
May 3, 2026
1 … 61 62 63 64 65 … 345

Stock Market Today

  • Passive Income Choices: Annuities vs Dividend Stocks for £100,000
    May 26, 2026, 7:30 AM EDT. Investors face a choice: £100,000 in cash or £7,075 annual passive income. For a 60-year-old, annuities offer around a 7.08% return, making income comparable to cash. Younger investors see lower annuity yields (2%-4%) because payouts must last longer. Dividend stocks, unlike annuities, provide income linked to company profits, potentially growing over time. While annuities offer fixed, reliable returns, dividends may surpass 4% but vary with market conditions and inflation. Unilever (LSE:ULVR), down 21.55% year-to-date amid restructuring, highlights stock market volatility. Investors should weigh age, risk tolerance, and income growth potential before deciding their £100,000 strategy.