News 30 April 2026 - 1 May 2026

Sizzle Acquisition Corp. II Shares Flat with Trasteel Vote Still Pending
····

Sizzle Acquisition Corp. II Shares Flat with Trasteel Vote Still Pending

Sizzle Acquisition Corp. II shares edged up half a cent to $10.32 in light trading Tuesday as Nasdaq reopened after Memorial Day. The SPAC’s price remained about 7 cents below its March-end redemption value, with no operating revenue reported for the quarter. Sizzle and Trasteel Holding S.A. signed a definitive merger deal in April, valuing the combined company at $1.3 billion if no redemptions occur.
May 26, 2026
UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 01.05.2026
···

UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 01.05.2026

LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: May 1, 2026, 12:00 AM EDTUpdated: May 1, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT Fortescue Ltd (FMG) Shares Down 9.6% in 2025 Amid Iron Ore and Battery Metals Push May 1, 2026, 11:43 PM EDT. Fortescue Ltd (ASX:FMG) shares have fallen 9.6% since early 2025. The Australian iron ore miner, known for shipping over 190 million tonnes annually, is diversifying into copper, lithium, and rare earths exploration to capture growth from rising demand in renewable energy sectors. The company offers a historically high dividend yield averaging 10.52% over five years, compared with a current 9.81%. This suggests shares trade
May 1, 2026
Hargreaves Services Share Buyback: £20 Million Tender Offer Completed After Heavy Investor Demand
···

Hargreaves Services Share Buyback: £20 Million Tender Offer Completed After Heavy Investor Demand

Hargreaves Services will buy back 2,352,941 shares at 850 pence each, returning about £20 million to investors after shareholders tendered over eight times the offer amount. The company will cancel 1,602,941 shares and hold 750,000 in treasury, reducing total voting rights. The buyback follows land sales from its renewable-energy portfolio. Payment to shareholders is expected by May 22.
April 30, 2026
Beazley Takeover Takes Fresh Step as Zurich Crosses 3% Stake Threshold
···

Beazley Takeover Takes Fresh Step as Zurich Crosses 3% Stake Threshold

Zurich Insurance Group has crossed the 3% voting-rights threshold in Beazley Plc as its £8.1 billion takeover advances, holding 18.16 million voting rights as of April 29. Beazley shareholders approved Zurich’s cash offer last week, but the deal still requires court sanction and regulatory approvals. Zurich’s offer values Beazley shares at 1,335 pence, above Thursday’s closing price of 1,275.5 pence.
April 30, 2026
Whitbread Shares Sink as Premier Inn Owner Puts 3,800 Jobs at Risk in Restaurant Exit
···

Whitbread Shares Sink as Premier Inn Owner Puts 3,800 Jobs at Risk in Restaurant Exit

Whitbread PLC will close or sell its remaining 197 branded restaurants, including Beefeater and Brewers Fayre, risking about 3,800 UK and Ireland jobs as it shifts to a hotel-focused model. Shares fell 6.33% after the announcement. The company has agreed to sell 51 restaurants for £50 million and is in talks for 60 more. Unite union criticised Whitbread for how it communicated the job cuts.
April 30, 2026
Aviva Plc’s Next Test: Bank of England Takes Aim at Reinsurance Deals
···

Aviva Plc’s Next Test: Bank of England Takes Aim at Reinsurance Deals

The Bank of England proposed raising capital requirements for UK life insurers’ funded reinsurance deals from about 2–4% to 10%, affecting firms like Aviva, Legal & General, and Phoenix. The PRA estimates UK exposure at £40 billion. The consultation runs until July 31, 2026, with changes proposed from July 2027. Aviva reported buying back 1.3 million shares for cancellation on April 29.
April 30, 2026
Bellway p.l.c. Taps Balfour Beatty CFO as UK Housebuilder Cost Pressure Mounts
···

Bellway p.l.c. Taps Balfour Beatty CFO as UK Housebuilder Cost Pressure Mounts

Bellway appointed Philip Harrison, Balfour Beatty’s finance chief, as independent non-executive director and future audit committee chair, effective July 1. The move follows warnings from Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey this week about rising energy-driven build costs. Ian McHoul will retire from Bellway’s board in November. Bellway’s next trading update is set for June 9.
April 30, 2026
Why Antofagasta Stock Jumped Today as Copper Rally Lifts FTSE 100 Miner
···

Why Antofagasta Stock Jumped Today as Copper Rally Lifts FTSE 100 Miner

Antofagasta shares jumped 3.24% to 3,549.5p Thursday, beating the FTSE 100 as copper prices rose after strong Chinese factory data. The stock remains 20.68% below its February high. First-quarter copper output fell 8% to 143,000 tonnes, but net cash costs dropped 30% to $1.08/lb. Pre-commissioning began at Centinela’s new concentrator, with other expansion projects ongoing.
April 30, 2026
Ceres Power Stock Faces a Fresh Test as Delta-Centrica Fuel-Cell Deal Targets AI Data Centres
···

Ceres Power Stock Faces a Fresh Test as Delta-Centrica Fuel-Cell Deal Targets AI Data Centres

Ceres Power said Delta Electronics and Centrica signed a deal to deploy off-grid solid oxide fuel cells for UK and European data centres and heavy industry. The partners plan a UK demonstration site within a year and aim for megawatt-scale systems in three to five years. Ceres shares closed at 619 pence, down 0.32%. Bloom Energy, a U.S. rival, reported $751.1 million Q1 revenue and raised 2026 guidance.
April 30, 2026
Diploma PLC Shares Near Year High Before May Results: The Margin Test Investors Can’t Ignore
···

Diploma PLC Shares Near Year High Before May Results: The Margin Test Investors Can’t Ignore

Diploma PLC shares closed at 6,940p in London on Thursday, up 1.31% and near a year high ahead of half-year results due May 19. The stock has surged 75% over 12 months after a March upgrade raised FY26 organic revenue growth guidance to 9% and operating margin to 25%. Eight recent acquisitions added about £20 million in annualised operating profit. Analyst price targets now mostly trail the current share price.
April 30, 2026
Sage Group plc AI Push: New Agents, Doyen Deal and Buyback Put Stock in Focus
····

Sage Group plc AI Push: New Agents, Doyen Deal and Buyback Put Stock in Focus

Sage Group added new AI agents to its finance software and acquired Doyen AI to speed customer migrations ahead of its May 21 results. Shares closed at 876.80p in London, down 0.61%, with a market value near £8.02 billion. Sage also bought back 923,243 shares at an average 878.0023p, all to be cancelled. Sage reported 922,060,889 voting rights as of April 30.
April 30, 2026
Experian PLC’s AI Shopping Move: Why Agent Trust Matters for EXPN Shares
···

Experian PLC’s AI Shopping Move: Why Agent Trust Matters for EXPN Shares

Experian PLC launched an AI commerce trust framework Thursday, aiming to verify links between consumers and AI agents handling transactions. Built with Visa, Cloudflare, and Skyfire, the service issues real-time trust tokens to confirm identity and intent. Experian shares closed up 1.24% in London. The move comes as payment networks and tech firms compete to set standards for agent-driven commerce.
April 30, 2026
JTC Takeover Watch: Fresh Filings Show Traders Circling Permira’s 1,340p Cash Deal
···

JTC Takeover Watch: Fresh Filings Show Traders Circling Permira’s 1,340p Cash Deal

Jefferies disclosed new positions in JTC Plc as Permira’s £2.3 billion takeover nears completion, with shares trading at 1,311p–1,312p, below the 1,340p offer. The deal awaits final court approval and is expected to close in the third quarter. Other firms, including Barclays and Tudor, also reported significant positions. JTC shareholders overwhelmingly backed the bid in February.
April 30, 2026
UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100 Jumps as BoE Hold, Rolls-Royce and Glencore Drive London Rally
········

UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100 Jumps as BoE Hold, Rolls-Royce and Glencore Drive London Rally

The FTSE 100 rose 1.6% to 10,378.82 after the Bank of England kept rates at 3.75%, while the FTSE 250 gained 1.2%. Rolls-Royce surged 7.6% on steady profit guidance; United Utilities hit a record after raising its investment plan. Glencore reported a 19% rise in copper output. Weir Group declined after a drop in orders and a CEO change.
April 30, 2026
Weir Group Shares Drop: CEO Exit, Soft Orders Rattle Mining Tech Stock
···

Weir Group Shares Drop: CEO Exit, Soft Orders Rattle Mining Tech Stock

Weir Group shares fell as much as 10% after CEO Jon Stanton announced he will step down in August and the company reported a 3% drop in organic first-quarter orders. Headline orders rose 4% on a constant-currency basis, but demand in the Minerals division was hit by mine disruptions in Asia-Pacific and Africa. Andrew Neilson will succeed Stanton as CEO. Weir reiterated its 2026 financial outlook.
April 30, 2026
Prudential plc’s $686 Million Quarter Puts Asia Growth — and Inflation Risk — Back in Focus
···

Prudential plc’s $686 Million Quarter Puts Asia Growth — and Inflation Risk — Back in Focus

Prudential plc reported a 10% rise in first-quarter new business profit to $686 million, driven by growth in Hong Kong and mainland China. Annual premium equivalent sales increased 6% to $1.823 billion. The company warned that higher energy-linked inflation could dampen demand in some smaller ASEAN markets. Prudential shares closed down 0.41% in London, underperforming the FTSE 100.
April 30, 2026
1 … 69 70 71 72 73 … 346

Stock Market Today

  • LSE Student Union Ends Case Against Israel Society Over Pro-IDF Merchandise
    May 26, 2026, 11:33 AM EDT. London School of Economics (LSE) Student Union has dropped its case against the Israel Society concerning pro-Israel Defence Forces (IDF) merchandise. Student leaders acted after receiving legal advice confirming that support for the IDF falls under free speech protections. The decision highlights ongoing tensions on university campuses around political expression and student activism. The case underscores legal nuances in balancing free speech with community standards in academic settings.