Today: 18 May 2026

Firefly Neuroscience stock jumps 126% after Nvidia GPU push and 33-fold brain-scan surge

Firefly Neuroscience stock jumps 126% after Nvidia GPU push and 33-fold brain-scan surge

Firefly Neuroscience reported a 33-fold jump in EEG/ERP brain scan volumes to over 10,800 in 2025 and expanded to 99 commercial users, up more than 20-fold. The company is deploying NVIDIA L40S GPUs to accelerate processing for a new AI “foundation model” built on EEG data. Shares closed at $1.55, up 126% in 24 hours. Growth followed the acquisition of Evoke Neuroscience and internal initiatives.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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

Stock Market Today

  • Ripple's Bank Deals Surge but XRP Price Declines
    May 17, 2026, 7:40 PM EDT. Ripple has secured ten major banking partnerships in 2024 with firms like Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan, integrating its network but often bypassing its native token, XRP. Despite this growth, XRP's price has dropped by around 41%, as many deals favor RLUSD, Ripple's dollar-pegged stablecoin, over XRP for settlements. RLUSD offers stability without the volatility of cryptocurrencies, meeting institutional demand for low-risk cross-border payment solutions. Ripple continues its monthly XRP escrow releases, using a portion for liquidity and operations. Consequently, XRP holders see limited price impact from Ripple's expanding network usage and partnerships.

Latest articles

Rigetti Stock Struggles, Demand for Answers Grows

Rigetti Stock Struggles, Demand for Answers Grows

18 May 2026
Rigetti shares fell 7.37% Friday to $17.85, down about 5.8% for the week, amid heavy trading after earnings. The company reported Q1 revenue of $4.4 million and an operating loss of $26 million. Nasdaq Composite lost 1.5% Friday, while other quantum stocks also declined. CEO Subodh Kulkarni is set to speak at a virtual symposium May 21.
Super Micro Shares Slip, Eyes on Monday for SMCI

Super Micro Shares Slip, Eyes on Monday for SMCI

18 May 2026
Super Micro Computer shares closed at $31.04 Friday, down 6% on the day and 12.2% since May 8, as the Nasdaq fell 1.54%. The company reports $10.24 billion in March-quarter sales, missing analyst estimates and down from $12.7 billion the prior quarter, with a 9.9% gross margin and $6.6 billion in operating cash outflow. Management will address investors Monday at a J.P. Morgan conference.
Exxon to Be Watched Monday After Oil Rally and Court Ruling

Exxon to Be Watched Monday After Oil Rally and Court Ruling

18 May 2026
Exxon Mobil closed Friday at $157.92, up 3.4%, after a surge in crude prices lifted energy stocks. Brent crude settled at $109.26 a barrel and WTI at $105.42, both jumping on concerns over shipping near the Strait of Hormuz. A Texas jury found Exxon not liable in a long-running investor lawsuit. Trading resumes Monday; U.S. markets are closed for the weekend.
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