News 23 April 2026

Westpac Banking Corporation Raises Fixed Mortgage Rates Again as Borrowers Face RBA Test
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Westpac Banking Corporation Raises Fixed Mortgage Rates Again as Borrowers Face RBA Test

Westpac has raised fixed home-loan rates by 15 basis points, taking its lowest two-year fixed offer to 6.29%. All major Australian banks have increased fixed rates since the March RBA decision. Westpac economists expect three more RBA rate hikes by August. The bank’s net interest margin fell to 7 basis points in Q2, and transaction costs from a mortgage portfolio sale will cut net profit by A$75 million.
April 23, 2026
Commonwealth Bank of Australia Set to Cut 119 Jobs Again as AI Push Deepens, Bankwest Hit
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Commonwealth Bank of Australia Set to Cut 119 Jobs Again as AI Push Deepens, Bankwest Hit

Commonwealth Bank of Australia will cut 119 jobs, according to the Finance Sector Union, as it increases automation and AI use. The bank did not confirm the figure but acknowledged some roles are being reduced. The move follows record first-half cash profit of A$5.45 billion in February. Other major Australian banks have also announced job cuts tied to technology changes in recent months.
April 23, 2026
Cochlear Shares Extend Rout After FY26 Profit Cut, Weak Demand Warning
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Cochlear Shares Extend Rout After FY26 Profit Cut, Weak Demand Warning

Cochlear slashed its fiscal 2026 profit forecast to A$290 million–A$330 million, down from A$435 million–A$460 million, citing weaker implant demand and Middle East conflict uncertainty. Shares plunged 40.7% Wednesday and fell another 4.6% Thursday to A$95.00. The company warned of flat developed-market revenue and possible order cancellations. Analysts called the downgrade “far worse than anticipated.”
April 23, 2026
BHP Group Ltd Adds China’s COREX Index in Iron Ore Deal That Ends Months-Long Standoff
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BHP Group Ltd Adds China’s COREX Index in Iron Ore Deal That Ends Months-Long Standoff

BHP has agreed to use China’s COREX iron ore benchmark for Jimblebar fines contracts, ending a dispute with China Mineral Resources Group that had restricted some purchases. The contract runs through BHP’s 2027 financial year and includes a 1.8% rebate per vessel, sources said. BHP’s March-quarter Western Australia iron ore output beat estimates at 69.8 million tons. BHP shares rose up to 1.8% after the news.
April 23, 2026
Tesla Earnings: Profit Beat Faces a $25 Billion AI and Robotaxi Test
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Tesla Earnings: Profit Beat Faces a $25 Billion AI and Robotaxi Test

Tesla raised its 2026 capital spending plan to over $25 billion, citing investments in AI, robotaxi, and Optimus robot projects. First-quarter net income rose 17% to $477 million on revenue of $22.39 billion. Deliveries climbed 6% to 358,023 vehicles, while capital expenditure jumped to $2.49 billion from $1.49 billion a year earlier. Tesla shares fell 3.5% despite higher profit and free cash flow.
April 23, 2026
Legal & General Shares Drop 5.6% as Final Dividend Ex-Date Puts £1.2 Billion Buyback Back in Focus
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Legal & General Shares Drop 5.6% as Final Dividend Ex-Date Puts £1.2 Billion Buyback Back in Focus

Legal & General Group shares fell 5.6% to 253.65 pence Thursday after trading ex-dividend for a 15.67 pence final payout due June 4. The drop followed a record £1.2 billion buyback and £2.4 billion in planned shareholder returns. L&G reported 2025 core operating profit up 6% to £1.623 billion. Investors remain focused on the group’s solvency ratio and capital-return plans.
April 23, 2026
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc Misses Q1 Sales Forecast, Warns on Margins as Oil Shock Bites
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Reckitt Benckiser Group plc Misses Q1 Sales Forecast, Warns on Margins as Oil Shock Bites

Reckitt Benckiser missed first-quarter sales forecasts and warned first-half margins will fall about 2 percentage points from last year due to higher oil costs and weak cold-and-flu demand. Shares dropped 4.6% Wednesday. Core like-for-like revenue rose 1.3%, below expectations, with reported group revenue down 11.8% to £3.25 billion. Seasonal OTC sales fell 10.8%, while germ protection grew 9.5%.
April 23, 2026
British American Tobacco Extends Share Buyback Through June as Velo Gains on Zyn
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British American Tobacco Extends Share Buyback Through June as Velo Gains on Zyn

British American Tobacco bought 165,340 shares for cancellation on April 22 at an average price of 4,103.8172 pence each, leaving 2.17 billion shares outstanding. Merrill Lynch International will run the buyback through June 29, with disclosures shifting to weekly under new UK rules. BAT continues buybacks as it invests in newer products and faces regulatory scrutiny over nicotine pouches in the U.S.
April 23, 2026
WH Smith Profit Warning: Retailer Suspends Dividend as Iran War Hits Airport Spending
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WH Smith Profit Warning: Retailer Suspends Dividend as Iran War Hits Airport Spending

WH Smith cut its full-year profit forecast to £90–£105 million, suspended its dividend, and reported a statutory pre-tax loss of £25 million for the half-year. Shares closed down 9.15% after falling as much as 17%. The company cited weaker passenger numbers and spending, particularly at airports affected by Middle East conflict. WH Smith said it is cooperating with a UK regulator’s probe into past accounting issues.
April 23, 2026
UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100 Falls Again as Oil Shock and Rate Fears Hit London Shares
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UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100 Falls Again as Oil Shock and Rate Fears Hit London Shares

London’s FTSE 100 fell 0.2% to 10,457.01, its fourth consecutive decline, as oil stayed above $100 a barrel and hopes faded for renewed U.S.-Iran talks. Sainsbury’s dropped 3.4% after warning the Iran war could hit profits, while WH Smith slumped 9.2% on a profit warning. Consumer confidence hit a six-month low, and traders now see a 70% chance of a June Bank of England rate hike.
April 23, 2026
Barclays PLC says MFS funds may have been fraudulently circulated ahead of Q1 results
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Barclays PLC says MFS funds may have been fraudulently circulated ahead of Q1 results

Barclays alleged missing funds at failed lender Market Financial Solutions were fraudulently circulated among related firms, according to Bloomberg. MFS entered administration in February after creditors claimed financial irregularities, with court documents showing only £230 million in collateral for £1.16 billion in loans. Barclays is owed £495 million. UK regulators are investigating, with creditors facing a shortfall over £1.3 billion.
April 23, 2026
Australia Stock Market Today: ASX 200 Hits Two-Week Low as Oil Tops $100, Santos Jumps
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Australia Stock Market Today: ASX 200 Hits Two-Week Low as Oil Tops $100, Santos Jumps

Australian shares closed at a two-week low Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 down 0.6% to 8,793.40 as stalled U.S.-Iran talks and oil above $100 a barrel weighed on sentiment. Energy stocks rose, led by Santos and Woodside, but losses in banks and miners offset gains. Healthcare hit an eight-year low after CSL and Cochlear slumped. Traders now see a 75% chance the Reserve Bank will raise rates in early May.
April 23, 2026
Self-Checkout Crackdown Spreads Across U.S. With 15-Item Caps, New Staffing Rules
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Self-Checkout Crackdown Spreads Across U.S. With 15-Item Caps, New Staffing Rules

U.S. cities and states are advancing limits on self-checkout, with Long Beach and Costa Mesa enforcing new rules and measures pending in New York City, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Ohio. Connecticut’s bill failed last week. Target now restricts self-checkout to 10 items at most stores, reporting faster transactions. Proposed laws include item caps, staffing ratios, and fines for violations.
April 23, 2026
Amazon Stock Nears Record Before Earnings. Anthropic May Be the Difference
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Amazon Stock Nears Record Before Earnings. Anthropic May Be the Difference

Amazon shares hit a new intraday high of $258.79 Thursday, buoyed by a $5 billion investment in Anthropic and optimism over AI-driven cloud growth. The stock rose above its previous 52-week high, trading at $256.62 by late morning. Amazon will report quarterly results April 29, alongside Alphabet, Microsoft, and Meta. Analysts have raised price targets as AWS’s AI services now generate over $15 billion in annual revenue.
April 23, 2026
Unilever PLC’s McCormick Food Deal Hits Fresh Labor Snag as Q1 Update Nears
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Unilever PLC’s McCormick Food Deal Hits Fresh Labor Snag as Q1 Update Nears

Unilever’s European employee representatives are demanding binding job protections in the planned $44.8 billion merger of its foods business with McCormick, raising concerns ahead of the deal’s expected mid-2027 close. The works council, representing about 20,000 staff, wants guarantees similar to those secured in the 2025 Magnum spin-off, exceeding minimum legal requirements.
April 23, 2026
RELX PLC Reaffirms 2026 Outlook, Starts £350 Million Buyback as Legal AI Growth Holds Up
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RELX PLC Reaffirms 2026 Outlook, Starts £350 Million Buyback as Legal AI Growth Holds Up

RELX Plc launched a new £350 million share buyback after shareholders approved repurchase authority at its annual meeting Thursday. The company maintained its 2026 outlook, citing strong revenue and profit growth across all divisions. All 21 AGM resolutions, including a 48 pence dividend, passed with over 99% support. The buyback will run from April 23 to May 22, managed by J.P. Morgan.
April 23, 2026
Anglo American plc Revives Coal Sale as Three Bidders Circle Australian Mines
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Anglo American plc Revives Coal Sale as Three Bidders Circle Australian Mines

At least three bidders, including Stanmore Resources, Mitsubishi Corp, and PT Buma Internasional Grup, remain in contention for Anglo American’s Australian steelmaking coal assets, Bloomberg reported Thursday. The sale process, managed by Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, resumed after Peabody Energy abandoned a $3.78 billion deal last year following an underground fire at Moranbah North.
April 23, 2026
HSBC Hires JPMorgan Bullion Veteran as Gold Volatility Fuels London Hiring Race
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HSBC Hires JPMorgan Bullion Veteran as Gold Volatility Fuels London Hiring Race

HSBC has hired JPMorgan executive James Willis to lead global precious metals sales, sources told Reuters, marking its second senior metals hire this month. The move comes as HSBC continues cost cuts and broader restructuring. London bullion trading remains active, with over 20 million ounces of gold cleared daily, according to the LBMA. HSBC shares fell 0.9% Thursday amid wider market declines.
April 23, 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • West Cobar Metals: Potential Catalyst for All Ordinaries Index
    May 26, 2026, 9:38 PM EDT. West Cobar Metals, a junior mining player, is drawing attention as a possible trigger for increased activity in the All Ordinaries index, Australia's benchmark stock market gauge. While specifics of its operations or financials were not detailed, the company's developments in the mining sector could attract investor interest. The All Ordinaries index tracks the top 500 Australian stocks by market capitalization, and emerging miners often spark momentum. However, Kalkine Media cautions this is not financial advice and emphasizes that investors conduct their due diligence or consult professionals before investing. The content aims to inform rather than recommend or predict market movements.