UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100 Sinks as Politics, Gilts and Oil Hit London
The FTSE 100 fell 1.7% to 10,195.37 on Friday, its steepest drop in over eight weeks,
M&S Shares Face Results Test as Marks & Spencer Starts £340 Million Warehouse Build
Marks & Spencer has started work on a £340 million automated food distribution centre in Northamptonshire, its largest supply-chain investment, set to open in 2029 and serve over 200 stores. The company
BAT’s Velo Bet Faces a Fresh WHO Warning After Shares Hit a 52-Week High
The World Health Organization on Friday called for tighter controls on nicotine pouches, citing risks to youth, just after British American Tobacco shares hit a 52-week high. BAT stock climbed 3.22% Thursday, then slipped 1.67% Friday morning. The U.S. FDA this week eased enforcement on some nicotine products, boosting tobacco shares. WHO said about 160 countries lack specific regulations for pouches.
Lloyds Banking Group Shares Fall Today: Why UK Political Turmoil Is Hitting Banks
Lloyds Banking Group shares dropped over 2% Friday amid a broader UK bank selloff triggered by political turmoil and rising gilt yields. Barclays also fell more than 2%, while the FTSE 100 slipped 0.6% and sterling hit a five-week low. The 10-year gilt yield jumped nearly 12 basis points to 5.11%. Lloyds shareholders had approved all AGM resolutions the day before.
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc Just Made A €1 Billion Debt Move — And The Stock Still Fell
Rolls-Royce sold €1 billion in euro bonds, its first such issue since 2020, attracting over €8.1 billion in orders. The dual-tranche sale follows credit rating upgrades and a €750 million bond repayment in February. Shares fell 2.37% in London Friday. Large-engine flying hours rose 5% in Q1 to 115% of 2019 levels.
Anglo American Stock Slides From High as $53 Billion Teck Deal Faces China Test
Anglo American shares fell 4.45% to 3,882p in early London trading Friday, retreating from a 52-week high hit earlier this week. The company’s merger with Teck Resources awaits Chinese antitrust approval, with South Korea already clearing the deal. Anglo shareholders are set to receive a $4.5 billion special dividend before completion. First-quarter copper output rose 1% to 170,400 tons, while steelmaking coal production dropped 31%.
Glencore plc’s $9.75 Billion LNG Catalyst Just Landed. Why the Stock Still Fell
Caturus approved construction of the $9.75 billion Commonwealth LNG export plant in Louisiana, set to begin operations in 2030. Glencore increased its contracted offtake to 3 million tonnes per year under a 20-year deal, nearly a third of the plant’s capacity. Glencore shares fell 2.75% after the news, despite a 42.78% gain this year. Other buyers include Mercuria, PETRONAS, and Aramco Trading.
Cochlear Shares Drop Again As Investors Question the Profit Shock
Cochlear Ltd shares fell 4.64% to A$95.42 on Thursday, extending losses after last month’s record 40.7% plunge. Trading volume nearly doubled to 671,000 shares. The company cut its fiscal 2026 profit forecast by about a third, citing weaker demand, hospital bottlenecks, and currency pressures. Services revenue rose 13% in the third quarter.
Lynas Rare Earths Stock Slumps as Trump-Xi Rare Earth Talks Test Its Rally
Lynas Rare Earths shares fell 9.8% to A$17.95, erasing recent gains as investors reacted to ongoing U.S.-China rare earth tensions. Chinese exports of some heavy rare earths remain down about 50% since April 2025 controls. Polymarket traders put the odds of a U.S.-China tariff deal by May 31 at 53%. Lynas reported quarterly sales of A$265 million, more than double a year earlier.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia Shares Bounce After Record Rout as Budget Shock Tests Mortgage Growth
Commonwealth Bank of Australia shares rose 1.79% to A$156.42 on Thursday after a record 10.43% drop erased nearly A$30 billion in value. The rebound followed a federal budget move to restrict negative gearing and raise capital gains tax for property investors. CBA reported a quarterly cash net profit of A$2.7 billion and increased loan loss provisions by A$200 million. Analysts expect mortgage growth to slow as new tax rules take effect.
Cochlear Shares Drop Again As Investors Question the Profit Shock
Cochlear Ltd shares fell 4.64% to A$95.42 on Thursday, extending losses after last month’s record 40.7% plunge. Trading volume nearly doubled to 671,000 shares. The company cut its fiscal 2026 profit forecast by about a third, citing weaker demand, hospital bottlenecks, and currency pressures. Services revenue rose 13% in the third quarter.
Lynas Rare Earths Stock Slumps as Trump-Xi Rare Earth Talks Test Its Rally
Lynas Rare Earths shares fell 9.8% to A$17.95, erasing recent gains as investors reacted to ongoing U.S.-China rare earth tensions. Chinese exports of some heavy rare earths remain down about 50% since April 2025 controls. Polymarket traders put the odds of a U.S.-China tariff deal by May 31 at 53%. Lynas reported quarterly sales of A$265 million, more than double a year earlier.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia Shares Bounce After Record Rout as Budget Shock Tests Mortgage Growth
Commonwealth Bank of Australia shares rose 1.79% to A$156.42 on Thursday after a record 10.43% drop erased nearly A$30 billion in value. The rebound followed a federal budget move to restrict negative gearing and raise capital gains tax for property investors. CBA reported a quarterly cash net profit of A$2.7 billion and increased loan loss provisions by A$200 million. Analysts expect mortgage growth to slow as new tax rules take effect.
Tesco PLC’s Equal Pay Fight Just Got Harder After Court Ruling
Tesco Stores lost most grounds in a Court of Appeal challenge over evidence in its equal pay litigation, with only one appeal point upheld. The court allowed employment tribunals to use Tesco’s own documents to assess job demands. Tesco faces about 62,000 equal pay claims from store staff and says any liability could be material but remains uncertain. The underlying case continues at a separate tribunal.
GSK Stock Goes Ex-Dividend Today: Why the 17p Payout Comes With a Bigger Pipeline Test
GSK shares traded ex-dividend in London on May 14, with a 17 pence first-quarter payout due July 9. The company began the final tranche of its £2 billion buyback on May 11, having repurchased £1.82 billion so far. GSK signed a deal with Chia Tai Tianqing for bepirovirsen in China, where the drug is under priority review. Bepirovirsen is not yet approved; the FDA’s target decision date is Oct. 26, 2026.
Rolls-Royce Share Price Faces Fresh Test as £2.3bn Buyback Meets Jet-Fuel Shock
Rolls-Royce repurchased 1.83 million shares last week, bringing total buybacks under its £2.3 billion program to 52.7 million shares at an average 1,201p each. Shares traded near £12 on Thursday, below the 1,420p high. Middle East conflict and high jet-fuel prices continue to threaten engine flying hours. The company maintained 2026 profit and cash flow guidance.
Liontown Shares Fall 6% as Lithium Rally Faces a Hard Test
PERTH, May 16, 2026, 04:06 AWST Liontown Limited shares fell 6% to A$2.35, leaving the West Australian lithium producer caught in a broader selloff in mining stocks just as investors test how much of the recent battery-metals rally can stick. The company’s website showed a market value of A$7.47 billion at that price. (Liontown Ltd) The move matters because Liontown’s stock has already had a large rebound. Trading Economics showed the shares up 188.34% over 12 months, even after losing 13.53% in the past four weeks. (Trading Economics) The timing is awkward. Liontown is trying to turn stronger spodumene prices
Wesfarmers Strategy Day Puts Bunnings, Kmart Cost Squeeze In Focus
Wesfarmers will hold its 2026 Strategy Briefing Day in Sydney on June 10, with presentation materials set for ASX release before an 8:30 a.m. webcast. The event comes as the Reserve Bank of Australia raised rates to 4.35% and CEO Rob Scott warned of rising costs, especially from fuel surcharges. Wesfarmers shares closed at A$71.67 on May 15, down 0.08%. The company reported half-year net profit of A$1.603 billion in February.
Telstra Group Limited Buyback Nears A$1.25 Billion Finish Line as TLS Shares Climb
Telstra has repurchased 220.5 million shares for A$1.116 billion under its on-market buy-back, using 89% of the A$1.25 billion program set to end June 30, a filing showed. The company has about A$134 million capacity left. Telstra shares closed at A$5.38 on Friday, near their 52-week high. Recent price increases for mobile plans began May 5.
Mineral Resources Stock Sinks After Chris Ellison’s $122 Million Sale—What Comes Next for ASX:MIN
Mineral Resources shares dropped as much as 7.1% Friday after founder Chris Ellison sold A$122.5 million in stock, according to a company filing. Ellison sold 1.75 million shares between May 11 and 14 at an average A$69.98 each, citing personal financial planning. The stock closed at A$64.77, down 7.7%. Ellison remains the largest shareholder with 10.54% of issued capital.
Why Northern Star Resources Shares Fell Again as Gold Sell-Off Tests Its $500 Million Buyback
Northern Star Resources closed at A$20.50 on Friday, down 2.98%, extending a 15.6% slide over four weeks as gold prices dropped more than 2%. The S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.12%, while the materials sector lost 2.85%. Investors remain focused on KCGM mill throughput, FY26 guidance, and the company’s A$500 million buyback.
Xero Stock Rebounds After $550 Million Buyback Pledge, But Melio Costs Bite
Xero shares jumped 8.1% to A$79.67 after announcing up to A$550 million in share buybacks, following a 27% annual profit drop to NZ$167.4 million. Operating revenue rose 31% to NZ$2.75 billion, with adjusted EBITDA up 18% to NZ$757.4 million. The company ended the year with 4.92 million customers and reaffirmed its push into the U.S. market after acquiring Melio.
Evolution Mining Shares Slide 5.5% as Gold Pullback Tests ASX:EVN Cash-Flow Rally
Evolution Mining shares fell 5.5% to A$12.50 on Friday as gold and copper prices dropped, with COMEX copper futures down 3.2% and gold 1.6% lower in Asian trade. The selloff hit other miners, including Northern Star and BHP. Evolution reported A$406 million in March-quarter cash flow and held A$1.371 billion in cash, with no major debt due until fiscal 2029. No new company disclosures accompanied the share decline.
Woodside Energy Group Ltd Stock in Focus After LNG Strike Threat, Inpex Browse Deal
Woodside faces new strike action at its Karratha and Pluto LNG sites in Western Australia starting Wednesday, the Offshore Alliance union said. Talks between the union and Inpex over the Ichthys LNG facility in Darwin also broke down. Inpex separately agreed to buy PetroChina’s 10.67% stake in the Browse gas project, pending approvals. Woodside shares closed up 2.06% at A$31.25 on Friday.
ANZ Group Holdings Dividend Update: $248 Million Share Purchase Sets Up July Payout
ANZ will buy about A$248 million of its own shares on market to meet its 2026 interim dividend reinvestment plan, appointing UBS Securities Australia to handle the purchase. The interim dividend remains at 83 Australian cents a share, payable July 1. DRP participation stands at 9.9% of shares, BOP at 2.4%. If the buyback is not completed, ANZ will issue new shares to meet obligations.
Fortescue Ltd’s $150 Million Native Title Payout May Not End the Yindjibarndi Fight
Yindjibarndi traditional owners may appeal a Federal Court order requiring Fortescue Ltd to pay A$150 million for cultural loss over its Solomon Hub iron ore mine. The court awarded just A$100,000 for economic loss, drawing criticism from native title advocates. Fortescue shares fell 1.7% Friday amid a broader mining selloff. The company said it will review the court’s reasons once published.
Goodman Group Stock Faces a Data Centre Test After Quiet Friday Close
Goodman Group shares closed at A$31.38 on Friday, down 0.06% with 5.31 million shares traded. The company’s Q3 FY26 operational update is set for May 26, with investors watching progress on its data centre pipeline as Australian interest rates remain high. Goodman reported A$1.2 billion in first-half FY26 operating profit and targets 0.5 GW of data centre projects in development by year-end.
PLS Group Stock Slides: Why the Lithium Miner’s Rally Is Suddenly Under Pressure
PLS Group Limited shares dropped 5.8% to A$6.01 on Friday, retreating from a recent 52-week high as battery-materials and mining stocks sold off. The company reported record March-quarter production and revenue, and ended the quarter with A$1.455 billion in cash. PLS completed a US$600 million senior note offering and cut its revolving credit facility. The S&P/ASX 200 closed down 0.11%.
CSL Limited Shares Near 52-Week Low After $5 Billion Write-Down: What Investors Are Watching
CSL Limited shares closed at A$97.96 Friday, just above a 52-week low, after a profit warning and plans for about $5 billion in write-downs. The stock is down nearly 20% in a week, with A$10 billion in market value lost after the company cut its 2026 revenue outlook and flagged delays in financial benefits from growth initiatives.
Westpac Mortgage Rate Hike Hits Borrowers as Big-Bank Risk Comes Back Into View
Westpac raised variable home-loan rates by 25 basis points on May 15, matching the Reserve Bank of Australia’s cash-rate hike to 4.35%. Westpac shares closed at A$35.84 Friday, up 0.34% for the day but down 8.9% over the week. Prediction markets showed traders expect the RBA to hold rates steady in June, though some see a risk of another increase.
Australia Stock Market Today: Why the ASX 200 Slipped as Miners Sank and Banks Bounced
The S&P/ASX 200 closed down 9.9 points at 8,630.8 on Friday, falling 1.3% for the week as mining stocks dropped with weaker metals prices. BHP lost 2.6%, Rio Tinto 3.2%, and Fortescue 1.7%. Nine of 11 sectors rose, but materials fell 2.85%. Rate markets still expect an RBA pause in June, though inflation and oil remain key risks.
UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100 Sinks as Politics, Gilts and Oil Hit London
The FTSE 100 fell 1.7% to 10,195.37 on Friday, its steepest drop in over eight weeks, as UK stocks, gilts, and sterling sold off amid political uncertainty and rising inflation fears. The 10-year gilt yield jumped above 5.16%, its biggest daily gain since April 2025. Oil prices surged past $109 a barrel, adding pressure. Hiscox shares rose after a reported takeover approach.
Macquarie Group Ltd’s UK Energy Deal Hits Watchdog Test After Profit Boom
Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority is seeking public input on Macquarie Group’s planned acquisition of Energy Assets Group, with comments open until May 29. The CMA has not yet started a formal Phase 1 probe. Macquarie Asset Management agreed in February to buy 100% of EAG, which manages 1.8 million smart meters and 148,000 grid connections in the UK. Macquarie reported a 30% rise in annual net profit to A$4.847 billion.
National Australia Bank Just Bought Banked. Why NAB’s Payments Push Matters Now
National Australia Bank has acquired fintech platform Banked, aiming to boost real-time account-to-account payments for business clients. NAB did not disclose the purchase price. The move comes as NAB shares trade near recent lows and investors monitor rising credit stress. Banked will operate as a wholly owned NAB subsidiary before full integration.
Commonwealth Bank Shares Bounce, But CBA’s A$30 Billion Shock Is Not Over
Commonwealth Bank of Australia shares rose 1.91% to A$159.40 on May 15 after a 10.43% plunge earlier in the week wiped nearly A$30 billion from its market value. The selloff followed increased loan provisions, a cautious earnings update, and investor reaction to federal housing tax changes. The Reserve Bank of Australia raised rates to 4.35% in May, adding pressure on banks and borrowers.
BHP Group Ltd Stock Slides After Record Run as New CEO’s Copper Plan Takes Centre Stage
BHP shares fell 2.58% to A$60.46 on Friday after hitting a record A$61.61 earlier in the week, as investors took profits and metals prices eased. Incoming CEO Brandon Craig pitched copper-led growth via existing mines, partnerships, and small acquisitions, ruling out large deals like the failed Anglo American bid. The S&P/ASX 200 closed down 0.12%, with mining stocks broadly lower.