News 1 May 2026 - 2 May 2026

Barclays PLC’s $800 Million Best Egg Deal Lands as Credit Risk Clouds U.S. Lending Push
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Barclays PLC’s $800 Million Best Egg Deal Lands as Credit Risk Clouds U.S. Lending Push

Barclays PLC has completed its $800 million acquisition of U.S. online lender Best Egg, folding it into Barclays Bank Delaware while keeping the brand. The deal closed May 1, days after Barclays reported a £228 million impairment tied to Market Financial Solutions and announced a £500 million share buyback, below analyst expectations. Barclays shares closed at 433.75 pence in London on May 1, up 0.53%.
May 2, 2026
Imperial Brands PLC Buyback Deepens Before May 12 Results Test
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Imperial Brands PLC Buyback Deepens Before May 12 Results Test

Imperial Brands bought 220,000 shares for cancellation on May 1, spending about £6.2 million as part of its £1.45 billion buyback. The move comes ahead of first-half results due May 12, with the stock closing Friday at 2,816.5 pence, up 0.55%. Shares remain below their April 13 level after warnings of market share losses. UBS downgraded the stock to “neutral” following the update.
May 2, 2026
NAB Share Price Near $40: The Monday Result That Could Decide The Dividend Trade
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NAB Share Price Near $40: The Monday Result That Could Decide The Dividend Trade

National Australia Bank will report first-half earnings on May 4, with investors watching a stock near A$40 amid higher bad-loan charges and a capital raising plan. NAB expects A$706 million in credit impairment charges and a A$1.35 billion pre-tax software amortisation. The results come one day before a widely expected Reserve Bank rate hike. NAB closed May 1 at A$39.83, down 0.13%.
May 2, 2026
Rolls-Royce Shares Rise as Profit Forecast Survives Middle East Shock
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Rolls-Royce Shares Rise as Profit Forecast Survives Middle East Shock

Rolls-Royce shares closed up 1.46% at 1,199.20 pence Friday after the company reaffirmed its 2026 profit and cash flow targets. Engine flying hours in the Middle East recovered to pre-conflict levels following earlier disruption from the Iran war. The stock outperformed the FTSE 100, which slipped 0.14%. Investors remain alert to risks from higher fuel costs and airline capacity cuts.
May 2, 2026
HSBC Earnings Loom: Dividend Decision and Asia Growth Put Bank Rally to Test
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HSBC Earnings Loom: Dividend Decision and Asia Growth Put Bank Rally to Test

HSBC will report first-quarter earnings on Tuesday, with investors focused on a possible interim dividend and the bank’s ability to sustain recent share gains. Shares closed Friday at 1,359.40 pence. Two senior executives acquired shares through automatic dividend reinvestment, according to a Friday filing. Peer banks NatWest and Standard Chartered posted profit gains but took impairment charges linked to the Middle East conflict.
May 2, 2026
Unilever PLC Price Hikes Are Back: Dove Maker Beats Forecasts, Then Flags Cost Squeeze
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Unilever PLC Price Hikes Are Back: Dove Maker Beats Forecasts, Then Flags Cost Squeeze

Unilever reported first-quarter underlying sales growth of 3.8%, beating forecasts as volume rose 2.9%. The company plans selective price increases in the second half of 2026 due to higher costs linked to the Iran war, with inflation now expected at up to 900 million euros for the year. Shares rose 2.56% on Friday. Finance chief Srinivas Phatak said price hikes could reach 3% if cost pressures persist.
May 2, 2026
Why Lloyds Banking Group plc’s New AI Agent Push Matters Now
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Why Lloyds Banking Group plc’s New AI Agent Push Matters Now

Lloyds Banking Group has launched Envoy, an internal AI agent platform built with Google Cloud, aiming to boost productivity across its operations. In Q1, Lloyds reported net income of £4.8 billion, up 9%, and statutory profit after tax of £1.6 billion, up 37%. The bank booked a £151 million charge related to the Iran war’s impact on global growth. Lloyds raised its net interest income outlook to over £14.9 billion for 2026.
May 2, 2026
UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 02.05.2026
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UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 02.05.2026

LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: May 2, 2026, 12:00 AM EDTUpdated: May 2, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT ANZ Banking Group Shares: Valuation Using PE Ratio and Dividend Discount Model May 2, 2026, 11:33 PM EDT. ANZ Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) shares trade around $36 amid analysis using two key valuation tools. The price-to-earnings (PE) ratio, which relates share price to annual earnings per share, stands at 16.6x for ANZ, below the banking sector average of 19x, suggesting potential undervaluation against peers. Using the sector average PE, ANZ's adjusted valuation is about $40.69 per share. Analysts also use the Dividend Discount Model (DDM),
May 2, 2026
Cochlear Limited Stock Bounces After Profit Shock — Why ASX Investors Are Still Nervous
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Cochlear Limited Stock Bounces After Profit Shock — Why ASX Investors Are Still Nervous

Cochlear shares closed Friday at A$98.77, up 5.1% but still down 41.6% for the month after a sharp profit downgrade. The company cut its FY26 underlying net profit guidance to A$290 million–A$330 million, citing weak demand, hospital bottlenecks, and Middle East uncertainty. The ASX is closed for the weekend, making Friday’s close the latest price. Analysts say the downgrade was worse than expected.
May 2, 2026
Goodman Group Shares Rise as AI Data Centre Bet Gets Fresh Investor Backing
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Goodman Group Shares Rise as AI Data Centre Bet Gets Fresh Investor Backing

Goodman Group shares rose 1.3% in Sydney Friday, extending gains as investors focused on its data centre projects, which now make up 73% of its A$14.4 billion development pipeline. The company reported A$1.20 billion in first-half operating profit and expects work in progress to reach A$18 billion by June 30. Goodman has secured 6.0 gigawatts of power capacity across 16 cities.
May 2, 2026
Mineral Resources stock jumps after POSCO lithium deal clears key hurdle
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Mineral Resources stock jumps after POSCO lithium deal clears key hurdle

Mineral Resources signed agreements to sell a 30% stake in its new lithium joint venture LithCo to POSCO Holdings for US$765 million, advancing the deal to regulatory review. LithCo will hold MinRes’ 50% interests in the Wodgina and Mt Marion mines. MinRes reported net debt fell by about A$400 million in the March quarter. Completion is now expected in the first half of fiscal 2027, later than previously targeted.
May 2, 2026
Northern Star Resources Buyback Moves: 1.3 Million Shares Cancelled as A$500 Million Plan Kicks In
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Northern Star Resources Buyback Moves: 1.3 Million Shares Cancelled as A$500 Million Plan Kicks In

Northern Star Resources cancelled 1,316,181 shares under its buyback, reducing its share count to 1.4298 billion, according to a May 2 filing. The company spent A$28.995 million on the cancelled shares, with total buyback purchases now at 2.37 million shares for about A$51.33 million. Northern Star reported A$301 million in free cash flow and A$1.183 billion in cash and bullion at the March quarter’s end.
May 2, 2026
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Stock Gets Barclays Lift After Q1 Sales Jump, But Easter Boost Clouds the Read
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Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Stock Gets Barclays Lift After Q1 Sales Jump, But Easter Boost Clouds the Read

Barclays raised its price target on Coca-Cola Europacific Partners to $108 after the company reported first-quarter revenue of €5.00 billion, up 6.7% year-on-year. Volume rose 8.5%, boosted by six extra consumption days, while comparable daily volume grew 1.6%. CCEP maintained its 2026 outlook and declared a €0.82 interim dividend. The company expects cost of sales per unit case to rise about 1.5% this year.
May 2, 2026
Why Woolworths Group Shares Slid After A$18.1 Billion Sales Beat
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Why Woolworths Group Shares Slid After A$18.1 Billion Sales Beat

Woolworths shares dropped as much as 9.8% on Thursday after the company warned its Australian Food EBIT growth would no longer reach the top end of guidance, citing higher fuel costs and price support for shoppers. Group sales for the quarter rose 4.5% to A$18.1 billion, with Australian Food sales up 5.9%. The grocer has frozen prices on 300 own-brand staples for three months starting May 1.
May 1, 2026
PLS Group’s $38.1 Million Lithium Bet Tests Australia’s Battery Ambition
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PLS Group Stock Alert: AustralianSuper Cuts Stake as Lithium Rally Heats Up

AustralianSuper cut its stake in PLS Group Limited to 12.87% from 13.88%, reducing its voting power by about 32.5 million votes, according to a May 1 filing. The changes, made through JPMorgan Nominees Australia, occurred between April 9 and April 29. PLS reported record March-quarter production and a 52% jump in revenue to A$567 million. PLS shares closed at A$6.14 on Friday, up 2%.
May 1, 2026
Woodside’s $17.5 Billion Louisiana LNG Bet Hits a Buyer Snag
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Woodside’s $17.5 Billion Louisiana LNG Bet Hits a Buyer Snag

Woodside Energy is struggling to secure buyers for LNG from its planned Louisiana export plant due to liquefaction fees above U.S. market rates, sources told Reuters. The company has signed only one long-term sales deal so far. Woodside shares closed down 1.28% in Sydney on Friday, despite a first-quarter revenue beat. The Louisiana LNG project was 24% complete at the end of March and targets first cargo in 2029.
May 1, 2026
Westpac Banking Corporation Earnings Preview: $75 Million RAMS Hit, RBA Rate Hike and Bad-Debt Watch
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Westpac Banking Corporation Earnings Preview: $75 Million RAMS Hit, RBA Rate Hike and Bad-Debt Watch

Westpac raised provisions for bad debt to their highest since COVID-19 after Middle East-linked energy shocks hit Treasury and Markets income. The bank reports first-half results Tuesday, as the Reserve Bank of Australia is widely expected to raise rates. Westpac flagged 4% lending growth, 3% deposit growth, and a A$75 million net profit hit from the RAMS mortgage sale. Peers ANZ and NAB also reported higher credit impairment charges.
May 1, 2026
Macquarie’s Mortgage Surge Before Earnings: Why Australia’s Big Banks Are Watching
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Macquarie’s Mortgage Surge Before Earnings: Why Australia’s Big Banks Are Watching

Macquarie’s banking arm posted the fastest March home-loan growth among Australian deposit-taking institutions, adding A$3.6 billion, or 2.1%. Its mortgage book rose 27.1% over 12 months, reaching a 7% market share. The data comes ahead of Macquarie’s full-year results on May 8. Higher interest rates and APRA lending caps continue to restrain overall loan growth.
May 1, 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • UK Gilt Yields Fall Amid Political Stability and Eased Rate Hike Concerns
    May 26, 2026, 9:28 AM EDT. U.K. gilt yields declined to five-week lows as investor worries about political instability eased following Labour's local election setbacks. The 10-year gilt yield dropped to 4.85%, down about 30 basis points, reflecting reduced expectations for interest rate hikes. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, though challenged by potential rivals including Andy Burnham, remains in charge, calming markets concerned about fiscal policy shifts. Additionally, optimism surrounding a possible U.S.-Iran peace deal and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz has eased inflation fears, further reducing yield pressures. Analysts at Pantheon Macroeconomics noted that investors are discounting weak economic data and now anticipate fewer rate increases in 2026, driving the largest weekly drop in gilt yields since late 2023.