TABR Capital Management disclosed a $4.55 million stake in ADP in January, then reported a full exit by month’s end. ADP’s fiscal Q2 revenue rose 6% to $5.36 billion, with diluted EPS
Lloyds Banking Group shares fell 3.7% to 92.94 pence Thursday after a broad sell-off hit London markets; the FTSE 100 dropped 2.48%. The Bank of England held rates at 3.75% but flagged inflation risks, prompting traders to price in two hikes by year-end. HSBC shares slid 2.7%. Lloyds also faces political scrutiny over a recent app error exposing customer data.
Lloyds Banking Group shares hovered near 92.68 pence in London on Tuesday as investors awaited the UK regulator’s decision on motor finance compensation, due March 30 after markets close. The FCA estimated the cost of the plan at nearly £11 billion, with Lloyds among the banks most exposed. FTSE 100 was down 0.1% and UK banks fell 0.9% amid broader market volatility.
TABR Capital Management disclosed a $4.55 million stake in ADP in January, then reported a full exit by month’s end. ADP’s fiscal Q2 revenue rose 6% to $5.36 billion, with diluted EPS up 11% to $2.62. The board approved a new $6 billion share buyback. Institutional ownership signals remain mixed, with some funds cutting and others increasing positions.
Apple released the iOS 26.4 release candidate to testers on March 18, signaling an imminent public launch. The update adds new Apple Music and podcast features, including video podcasts and AI-powered playlist tools. Some AirPods Max 2 functions will require iOS 26.4 or later. Apple has not confirmed the public release date; AirPods Max 2 orders open March 25.
Brent crude closed Friday at $112.19 a barrel, its highest since July 2022, lifting Woodside Energy shares 1% to 34.04 AUD. Canberra is considering a windfall gas tax as LNG spot prices in Asia hit three-year highs. Woodside last week named Liz Westcott as CEO, who cited the Louisiana LNG project as a key priority. The company expects a production decline in 2026 after warning investors in January.
Greatland Resources will join the S&P/ASX 100 before Monday’s market open in Sydney. Shares closed Friday at 10.11 AUD on the ASX, down 7.25%, and at 507 pence in London, down 4.88%. The company reported a half-year net profit of 342.9 million AUD and held 948.3 million AUD in cash with no debt as of December. Investors await the Telfer resource update due in March.
Diageo shares closed Friday at 1,400 pence in London, near a 52-week low, after cutting its 2026 sales outlook and halving its interim dividend to 20 cents. About 24.6 million shares traded as the FTSE 100 fell 1.4% amid Middle East tensions and rate hike fears. CEO Dave Lewis plans to present a new strategy later this year. Net debt stands at $21.7 billion.
British American Tobacco shares fell 1.0% to 4,311p at Friday’s close, underperforming after the FTSE 100 dropped 1.4% amid inflation and geopolitical concerns. BAT confirmed a new share buyback and a 61.26p quarterly dividend, but shares remain below the recent buyback price. The company maintained its 2026 outlook but warned results may be at the lower end of guidance. A shareholder lawsuit over North Korea sanctions disclosure continues.
Rolls-Royce shares closed down 2.44% at 1,161 pence Friday, extending losses and leaving the stock 18% below its February peak. The company bought back 2.47 million shares this week as part of a broader £7–9 billion program. European markets fell for a third straight session, with FTSE 100 down 1.4%. Investors remain wary amid rising bond yields, energy prices, and persistent inflation concerns.
SSE shares fell 3% Friday to 2,573p, underperforming the FTSE 100, which dropped 1.4%. The decline followed a 52-week high earlier in the week and came despite Jefferies raising its price target. SSE launched its 150 MW Ferrybridge battery project and listed over 5 million new shares, mostly via scrip dividend. Investors focused on rising UK borrowing costs and rate hike risks for utilities.
BAE Systems shares fell 2.5% in London Friday, closing at 2,250 pence, underperforming the FTSE 100 amid a broader selloff in defense stocks. The company announced plans to sell its remaining 6.9% stake in Air Astana for about $31 million. UK officials said they are boosting defense orders and support for Gulf partners facing Iranian attacks. The Bank of England held rates at 3.75% but signaled inflation concerns.
Lloyds Banking Group shares fell 3.7% to 92.94 pence Thursday after a broad sell-off hit London markets; the FTSE 100 dropped 2.48%. The Bank of England held rates at 3.75% but flagged inflation risks, prompting traders to price in two hikes by year-end. HSBC shares slid 2.7%. Lloyds also faces political scrutiny over a recent app error exposing customer data.
BAE Systems closed at 2,306 pence in London after selling its remaining 6.9% stake in Air Astana for about $31 million. The company announced a new U.S. Air Force contract and unveiled a counter-drone system this week. Shares fell 1%, outperforming the FTSE 100, which dropped 2.4% after the Bank of England held rates steady. BAE reported 2025 revenue of £30.66 billion and record order backlog.
3i Group shares fell 4.8% to 2,875 pence in London, nearing a 52-week low and trading 5.2% below net asset value. The drop outpaced the FTSE 100’s 0.9% decline as investors eyed Action’s performance in France and awaited a March 26 seminar. Broker ratings remain split. 3i valued its Action stake at £22.4 billion in December, with recent French sales growth lagging other markets.
Woodside Energy shares closed up 0.06% in Sydney after new CEO Liz Westcott named the $17.5 billion Louisiana LNG project a top priority. U.S. ADRs rose 1%. Westcott took over as the company struck a deal to export more LNG from Pluto in exchange for extra domestic gas. Production hit a record 198.8 million barrels of oil equivalent in 2025, with net profit at $2.7 billion.
BAE Systems shares rose 0.4% to 2,331 pence Tuesday after announcing a new U.S. Air Force contract for U-2 aircraft electronic warfare systems. The stock stayed near record highs despite a broader drop in European defense shares. BAE reported a record £83.6 billion order backlog last month and forecast 2026 revenue growth of 7–9%.
BT Group shares rose about 2.5% Tuesday after Ofcom announced a five-year regulatory plan for Openreach, expanding the wholesale price cap to more of the network. Ofcom said full-fibre internet now covers 78% of UK homes, up from less than 25% five years ago. The new framework runs from April 2026 to March 2031. Over half of eligible households have yet to switch to full-fibre connections.
BP shares rose over 1% in London Tuesday as Brent crude topped $100 a barrel after new Iranian attacks on the UAE. The company paused its $750 million buyback last month, shifting cash to debt reduction and oil and gas. BP’s Angola joint venture began gas production at Quiluma. Brent crude traded at $101.94 by 13:15 GMT amid supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Reckitt Benckiser shares rose 2.4% to 5,484p Monday after Morgan Stanley raised its rating and set a 6,300p target. The gain follows a 15.8% monthly drop and a 12.3% fall since January. Reckitt began a new £1 billion buyback tranche and reported 5.2% comparable sales growth for 2025, led by emerging markets. Management warns Europe remains difficult and FX, taxes, and weak cold/flu season have cut EPS by 7%.
Rolls-Royce shares rose about 1.2% to 1,230 pence in late London trading Monday, partially recovering from Friday’s 5.3% drop. The company said it repurchased 1.82 million shares on March 13, bringing the total under its £2.3 billion buyback to 12.52 million. Shares remain well below the 2024 high of 1,420 pence.
BP shares hit a new yearly high Monday as oil prices topped $100 a barrel amid tensions near Iran threatening the Strait of Hormuz. BP traded around 537.8 pence in London after earlier reaching 546 pence; Shell also gained. BP on Friday secured U.S. approval for its $5 billion Kaskida project in the Gulf of Mexico. Analysts warn BP’s higher exposure to the Middle East brings both greater upside and risk.
Telstra shares closed at 5.12 AUD on the ASX, down 0.2%, after the company bought back 1.95 million shares for 9.99 million AUD. Telstra faces regulatory pressure over spectrum costs and signal coverage, while it prepares to pay an interim dividend of 10.5 cents per share on March 27. Bendigo Bank signed a five-year telecom deal with Telstra this week.
Admiral Group shares rose 1.9% to 3,280p Friday after RBC Capital Markets raised its rating and target price following Admiral’s record 2025 profit of £957.9 million. The insurer will shift from special dividends to share buybacks from mid-2026. FTSE 100 fell 0.43% as investors shrugged off Admiral’s weaker 2026 outlook amid renewed inflation concerns.
Atlassian will cut about 1,600 jobs, or 10% of its workforce, as it shifts focus to AI and enterprise sales. CTO Rajeev Rajan will leave by March 31. The restructuring will cost $225–236 million, with 40% of layoffs in North America. Laid-off staff will receive at least 16 weeks’ pay and up to six months’ health coverage.
Experian shares closed down 0.62% at 2,738p Friday after launching a ChatGPT-powered UK credit score app. The firm also began offering VantageScore 4.0 for mortgages at $0.99 per score, undercutting FICO. Experian repurchased 224,000 shares this week as part of a $1 billion buyback. FTSE 100 fell 0.4% amid Middle East concerns and stagnant UK GDP.
National Australia Bank shares rose 1.53% to 47.11 AUD Friday as traders bet on a possible Reserve Bank of Australia rate hike next week. Australia tapped up to 762 million liters of fuel reserves to ease shortages linked to the Iran war. NAB’s quarterly cash profit climbed 16% to 2.02 billion AUD, but its key capital ratio slipped to 11.48%. Brent crude traded at $100.13 a barrel.