Glencore’s South African ferrochrome plant delayed a layoff decision to April 7 after Eskom requested more time to finalize a discounted electricity deal at 62 South African cents/kWh. Up to 1,500 jobs
HSBC last week named David Rice as its first chief AI officer and may cut up to 20,000 jobs, or 10% of staff, according to Bloomberg News. CEO Georges Elhedery said he is “ruthless in eliminating complexity” as the bank shifts to AI. HSBC also issued $130 million in senior unsecured bonds due 2036. The bank is seeking a buyer for its Singapore life insurance unit, valued at over $1 billion.
France is considering sending Eutelsat satellite internet terminals to Iran after authorities there cut off internet access during protests, Reuters reports. Activists
RELX reaffirmed its forecast for solid revenue growth and higher adjusted operating profit in 2026, citing positive momentum across the group. Shares remain down 36.3% over the past year amid concerns about AI competition, despite strong performance in legal and risk segments. The company is executing a £350 million share buyback set to finish April 22, following a £450 million round completed in March.
Glencore’s South African ferrochrome plant delayed a layoff decision to April 7 after Eskom requested more time to finalize a discounted electricity deal at 62 South African cents/kWh. Up to 1,500 jobs remain at risk as only 11 of 66 smelters operate, with electricity prices up over 900% since 2008. The Glencore-Merafe venture reported a 63% drop in 2025 ferroalloy output. NERSA approval is still required for any new tariff.
Stellantis is in early talks with China’s Leapmotor to produce electric vehicles at its idled Brampton, Ontario plant, Bloomberg reported. Stellantis shares jumped 4.1% in Milan after the news. Canada recently eased tariffs on Chinese EVs and is seeking more joint auto ventures. Stellantis owns 21% of Leapmotor and controls its international arm; Leapmotor declined comment.
NatWest Group and Sainsbury’s on Wednesday announced new financial products for Sainsbury’s customers, including instant-access savings accounts, unsecured loans, and a NatWest Nectar credit card. The rollout follows NatWest’s 2025 acquisition of Sainsbury’s Bank portfolios. Nectar members will get personalized rates, with products available through Sainsbury’s digital channels and powered by NatWest Boxed.
Amentum and Cavendish Nuclear’s joint venture Litmus Nuclear won a contract worth up to £300 million as owner’s engineer for the Wylfa small modular reactor project in Wales, supporting Rolls-Royce’s SMR technology. The deal, lasting up to 14 years, follows the UK government’s selection of Rolls-Royce SMR for the site, with the first three 470 MW reactors expected to power about 3 million homes by the mid-2030s.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia warned it may change card rewards and benefits after the Reserve Bank banned most card payment surcharges and cut processing fees, effective October 1. The RBA says the move could save consumers A$1.6 billion a year, but banks argue it threatens funding for card rewards and payment systems.
Rolls-Royce Holdings began construction of a 43 MW battery storage facility in Falkirk, Scotland, its first major battery project in the UK. The site, developed for Voltaria Helios Energy Storage, is set to connect to the grid in 2026 and start commercial operations in 2027. Rolls-Royce also reported a 40% rise in 2025 operating profit and continued its share buyback program, reaching 27.7 million shares repurchased.
Meituan reported a Q4 net loss of 15.1 billion yuan on revenue of 92.1 billion yuan, with a full-year loss of 23.35 billion yuan for 2025. Shares closed at HK$85.90 in Hong Kong Friday after Beijing signaled a crackdown on food delivery price wars. Local commerce revenue fell 1.1% in Q4, and operating profit turned to a loss. Annual costs surged, driven by higher courier incentives and overseas expansion.
A concept smartphone called Pixel Duo, not affiliated with Google, is drawing attention for its dual front display design: a 3.5-inch 120Hz IPS panel above a 5.2-inch E‑Ink screen. The IPS display handles color and motion, while the E‑Ink panel is intended for reading and low-power use. Media reports stress both screens are stacked vertically on the front, a departure from typical dual-display phones. No commercial release is announced.
Barclays shares fell 4.19% to 452.85 pence on Friday after concerns over losses tied to the collapse of UK lender Market Financial Solutions. Barclays froze MFS-linked accounts in January, according to weekend reports. MFS entered administration after allegations of financial irregularities, with only £230 million in assets backing £1.16 billion in loans. UK house prices rose 0.3% in February, beating forecasts.
HSBC last week named David Rice as its first chief AI officer and may cut up to 20,000 jobs, or 10% of staff, according to Bloomberg News. CEO Georges Elhedery said he is “ruthless in eliminating complexity” as the bank shifts to AI. HSBC also issued $130 million in senior unsecured bonds due 2036. The bank is seeking a buyer for its Singapore life insurance unit, valued at over $1 billion.
National Grid and SP Energy Networks signed £3 billion contracts Monday for the Eastern Green Link 4, a 2GW subsea cable between Scotland and England. Siemens Energy will supply converter stations; Prysmian will provide cables. The project aims to move power from Fife to Norfolk and is backed by a £600 million National Wealth Fund loan. National Grid raised its investment target to at least £70 billion by March 2031.
Woodside Energy has withdrawn its Browse CCS proposal from Australia’s federal approval process and plans to resubmit under revised EPBC laws. The plan targets injecting 3–4 million tonnes of CO2 annually, aiming to cut Browse-to-North West Shelf project emissions by about 47%. The Browse CCS project is now listed as withdrawn on the EPBC public portal. Woodside says it remains committed to resubmission.
France is considering sending Eutelsat satellite internet terminals to Iran after authorities there cut off internet access during protests, Reuters reports. Activists told AP that Starlink is currently free for Iranian users with receivers, and SpaceX has issued a firmware update to counter signal jamming. Starlink operates over 9,000 satellites; Eutelsat manages just over 600.
Over 30,000 people joined Melbourne’s 20th Herald Sun/Transurban Run for the Kids on Sunday, raising A$1.32 million for the Royal Children’s Hospital. Transurban shares closed at A$14.07 on Friday, up 0.8%. The company expects to complete NSW toll reform by mid-2026 and reported strong toll revenue growth across major Australian cities in early FY26.
Tencent bought back 610,000 shares for HK$300.7 million on March 27, following a 590,000-share buyback the day before. The company warned repurchases in 2026 will lag last year as it raises AI spending. Tencent closed Friday at HK$493.40, down 0.44%. Analysts cut profit forecasts for 2026–27, citing higher AI investment and uncertain returns.
Optus and TPG are backing stricter mobile coverage mapping standards as the Australian regulator prepares to decide by March 31. Telstra warns the proposal could cut about 1 million square kilometers from its advertised coverage. The new threshold would exclude weaker signal areas from official maps. Telstra says over 1.5 million customers use service below the proposed limit each month.
Ashburton port in Western Australia remains closed after ex-tropical cyclone Narelle, disrupting Mineral Resources’ Onslow Iron exports. Dampier port reopened March 28, but engineering checks at Ashburton will continue into next week with no reopening date set. Mineral Resources’ net debt stood at AUD 4.9 billion as of December 31. Onslow Iron shipped 17.3 million tonnes in the first half of the year.
Google Wallet will add full transaction history and search features to its Android and Wear OS apps, according to January 2026 release notes. Users will be able to view purchases made on other devices and online transactions using virtual card numbers. The update removes the current limit of showing only the 10 most recent transactions per device. Google has not announced a rollout date.
Feral Interactive will release Tomb Raider for iOS and Android on February 12, with pre-registration already open. Digital Extremes announced Warframe will launch globally on Android February 18 after a limited Canadian release. Android Authority highlighted these titles alongside Urik Keyboard, SILT, and RGB in its February 2026 roundup of notable new Android apps and games.
NatWest Group shares rose 0.9% to about 540 pence Friday after Deutsche Bank raised its price target to 840 pence, calling the bank “unfairly undervalued.” Capital Group cut its stake below 5%. Chancellor Rachel Reeves met bank executives as 1.6 million UK borrowers face expiring fixed-rate mortgages this year. NatWest continued share buybacks, leaving 195.1 million shares in treasury.
Reckitt shares rose 0.59% to 5,110 pence Tuesday after the company bought back 157,000 shares as part of its ongoing £1 billion repurchase program. The stock remains well below its 52-week high. Investor concerns persist over margin warnings, currency pressures, and weak European demand. Reckitt now holds 29.4 million treasury shares, with 644.6 million voting shares outstanding.
Rolls-Royce shares fell 1.4% to 1,166 pence by 12:19 GMT Tuesday, despite announcing a £19.3 million investment in its Rotherham turbine blade plant. The drop came as oil prices surged above $100 a barrel and European defense stocks declined. Rolls-Royce recently posted a 40% jump in annual profit and announced a major share buyback. FTSE 100 and STOXX 600 also slipped in morning trading.
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.