Today: 20 March 2026
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Michał Rogucki

Sydney Swans sign IREN as AI cloud partner as Nasdaq “neocloud” stays coy on Australian data centres

Sydney Swans sign IREN as AI cloud partner as Nasdaq “neocloud” stays coy on Australian data centres

The Sydney Swans have named Nasdaq-listed IREN as their Official AI Cloud Partner for the 2026 AFL season. IREN, headquartered in Sydney, has increased local visibility with Swans sponsorship and billboards but remains non-committal on building data centres in Australia, citing delays in permitting and power-grid connections as key barriers to larger investment.
5 March 2026
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Compass Group’s Vacherin names new boss as award-winning chief moves to chairman role

Compass Group’s Vacherin names new boss as award-winning chief moves to chairman role

Vacherin, a London workplace caterer owned by Compass Group, named Tom Rule managing director designate as Phil Roker prepares to become chairman later in 2026, Contract Catering Magazine reported Wednesday. The announcement follows four Compass brand wins at the Contract Catering Awards in London, including Senior Executive of the Year for Roker. No exact handover date was given.
5 March 2026
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Imperial Brands keeps buying back shares — latest £1.45bn repurchase update for IMB stock

Imperial Brands keeps buying back shares — latest £1.45bn repurchase update for IMB stock

Imperial Brands bought back 160,607 shares for cancellation on March 4 at an average price of 3,248.54 pence, following a 641,958-share repurchase the previous day. The company’s share count will drop to 787,577,474 after settlement. UK lawmakers are advancing a bill to phase out tobacco sales for those born after 2008, with a House of Lords vote set for March 9. Imperial shares closed up 2.28% at £32.70 on Wednesday.
5 March 2026
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BAE Systems share buyback: company buys more stock as Middle East conflict rattles markets

BAE Systems share buyback: company buys more stock as Middle East conflict rattles markets

BAE Systems bought back 97,895 shares on March 4 at a volume-weighted average price of 2,237.12 pence and plans to cancel them. The company has repurchased 18.3 million shares under its current buyback tranche, part of a three-year, £1.5 billion programme. BAE shares closed up 2.21% at 22.69 pounds, near a 52-week high. The company reported record order backlog and double-digit profit growth in February.
5 March 2026
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British Airways owner IAG shares snap back as Middle East airspace shutdown hits flights

British Airways owner IAG shares snap back as Middle East airspace shutdown hits flights

IAG shares rose 2% Wednesday after a 13% drop linked to Middle East airspace closures that forced British Airways to halt flights from six cities. Global air cargo capacity fell 22% between Feb. 28 and March 3, tightening space and raising rates. Wizz Air expects a €50 million hit to 2026 profit. Two IAG airline chiefs sold shares this week, regulatory filings showed.
5 March 2026
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Beazley profit slides 19% as Zurich takeover advances and board adds PwC veteran Roy Clark

Beazley profit slides 19% as Zurich takeover advances and board adds PwC veteran Roy Clark

Beazley reported a 19% drop in annual pre-tax profit to $1.15 billion as cyber underwriting shrank and insurance pricing weakened. Zurich Insurance’s agreed takeover values Beazley at £8.1 billion, with shareholders set to receive 1,335 pence per share including a 25 pence dividend. Zurich raised $5 billion in a share sale to fund the deal. Beazley shares were little changed in early London trading.
5 March 2026
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Anglo American CEO sells shares as 2023 incentive plan vests at 21.2%

Anglo American CEO sells shares as 2023 incentive plan vests at 21.2%

Anglo American CEO Duncan Wanblad sold 24,074 shares at £36.384 each to cover taxes after incentive awards vested, according to a regulatory filing. The company’s 2023 long-term incentive plan vested at 21.2% of the maximum, with most retained shares under a two-year lock-up. The disclosure comes as Anglo pursues a merger with Teck and reviews its executive pay structure. The Teck deal still awaits some regulatory approvals.
5 March 2026
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RELX’s LexisNexis hit by data breach scare after hacker leak — what was taken

RELX’s LexisNexis hit by data breach scare after hacker leak — what was taken

LexisNexis Legal & Professional contained a security breach after an unauthorized party accessed legacy servers holding mostly deprecated pre-2020 data, the company said. The group FulcrumSec claimed to have stolen 2GB of data, including 400,000 personal records and contract details, though figures remain unverified. LexisNexis said no active passwords or payment details were exposed. RELX separately disclosed a share buyback of 500,000 shares.
5 March 2026
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Rio Tinto plc seals A$1.1 billion Pilbara water deal as Dampier desalination expands

Rio Tinto plc seals A$1.1 billion Pilbara water deal as Dampier desalination expands

Rio Tinto and Western Australia will form a 50:50 joint venture to complete a A$1.1 billion seawater desalination plant near Dampier. The expanded facility will supply 8 gigalitres of water annually to Pilbara towns and industry, with Stage 1 set to deliver water later in 2026. The state will invest A$606 million to double capacity and reduce groundwater extraction from key aquifers.
5 March 2026
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Barclays faces a £500 million MFS exposure as lenders hunt for answers

Barclays faces a £500 million MFS exposure as lenders hunt for answers

Barclays is owed about £500 million by companies linked to collapsed UK mortgage lender Market Financial Solutions, according to Bloomberg. The figure is among the largest exposures tied to the lender’s administration. Investors are reviewing risks as banks and funds assess potential losses. MFS collapsed after allegations of financial irregularities and mismanagement.
5 March 2026
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Why Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) shares jumped 4.6% today

Why Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) shares jumped 4.6% today

Pro Medicus shares jumped 4.6% to A$121.49 on Thursday, valuing the company at about A$12.1 billion. The stock remains down 53% over the past year despite recent gains. Interim results showed revenue up 28.4% to A$124.8 million, with profit boosted by a large fair value gain on a 4D Medical investment. An on-market buyback is underway through March 2026.
5 March 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • US Stocks, Bonds, and Gold Slide Amid Iran Conflict and Rising Oil Prices
    March 20, 2026, 4:11 PM EDT. US stocks and bonds declined sharply as the Iran war intensified, pushing oil prices up and gold to its worst week in 40 years. The Russell 2000 index fell 2.7%, nearing correction territory (a 10% drop from peak). The Dow dropped 444 points (0.96%), S&P 500 fell 1.51%, Nasdaq slumped 2.01%, with the Nasdaq nearly in correction at down 9.65% since late October. The conflict raised energy prices, elevating inflation concerns and complicating central bank policies. Treasury yields surged, with the 10-year yield reaching 4.39%, the highest since July. Gold plunged 2% on Friday, marking a 10% weekly loss. Brent crude rose 3.26% to $112.19 per barrel. Market uncertainty persists over conflict duration and oil prices, with investors cautious about further downside.
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