Today: 18 May 2026

Hong Kong’s 2,000-Tonne Gold Vault Plan Gets Fresh Incentives as China Eyes Bullion Pricing Power

Hong Kong’s 2,000-Tonne Gold Vault Plan Gets Fresh Incentives as China Eyes Bullion Pricing Power

Hong Kong will offer support for gold refiners seeking LBMA certification and boost cross-border trade with mainland China, InvestHK said Thursday. The government aims to raise storage capacity to over 2,000 metric tons within three years. Beijing plans to manage overcapacity in heavy industries and expand strategic mineral stockpiles. China has increased gold reserves for 15 consecutive months through January.
5 March 2026
South Korea’s KOSPI jumps 10% as Iran war lifts oil toward $84 and rattles global markets

South Korea’s KOSPI jumps 10% as Iran war lifts oil toward $84 and rattles global markets

South Korea’s KOSPI surged nearly 10% after President Lee Jae Myung activated a $68 billion market stabilisation fund. Brent crude briefly topped $84 a barrel as Iran’s missile attack on Israel disrupted shipping, halting tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Bond yields and the dollar rose as traders scaled back expectations for near-term rate cuts. Qatar declared force majeure on gas exports, warning of at least a month’s disruption.
5 March 2026
Ondas Inc lands $20 million border drone order as national autonomous program kicks off

Ondas Inc lands $20 million border drone order as national autonomous program kicks off

Ondas Inc’s Airobotics unit received a $20 million initial purchase order as prime contractor for a national border-protection drone program, triggering development and phased deployment. The company has not disclosed the customer or country. Shares closed up 4.9% at $10.51 on Wednesday. The order is part of a multi-year framework and involves integrating drones, software, and ground infrastructure.
5 March 2026
AppLovin hints at upside in gaming-ads growth target as investors look for a new catalyst

AppLovin hints at upside in gaming-ads growth target as investors look for a new catalyst

AppLovin CFO Matt Stumpf said the company sees “potential upside” to its 20%-30% gaming ad growth target at a Morgan Stanley conference, a day after shares jumped about 10%. AppLovin-owned Adjust reported Tripledot Studios moved over 30 live games to its platform without disrupting campaigns. AppLovin posted $1.658 billion in Q4 revenue and guided Q1 revenue between $1.745 billion and $1.775 billion.
5 March 2026
Marvell earnings today: What could swing MRVL stock after the bell

Marvell earnings today: What could swing MRVL stock after the bell

Marvell Technology shares rose 0.8% to $78.09 in premarket trading Thursday ahead of its earnings report due after the U.S. market close. Analysts expect adjusted earnings of 79 cents a share on $2.21 billion in revenue, up from a year ago. Options traders are pricing an 11% swing in the stock after results. Marvell completed its XConn Technologies purchase in February, expecting revenue contribution in fiscal 2027.
Astera Labs stock in focus after insider sale filing and fresh margin headwind talk

Astera Labs stock in focus after insider sale filing and fresh margin headwind talk

Astera Labs general counsel Philip Mazzara sold 10,000 shares for about $1.17 million on March 2, according to a Form 4 filing. CEO Jitendra Mohan downplayed concerns over a potential AI spending slowdown in 2027. CFO Mike Tate warned of a 200-basis-point gross margin headwind starting in the June quarter, citing an Amazon warrant and product mix. Shares rose 3.6% in premarket trading Thursday.
5 March 2026
BW stock jumps after Babcock & Wilcox gets $2.4 billion green light to build AI data-center power project

BW stock jumps after Babcock & Wilcox gets $2.4 billion green light to build AI data-center power project

Babcock & Wilcox received full notice to proceed on a $2.4 billion contract to supply equipment for Applied Digital’s AI data center campuses. The deal includes four 300-megawatt natural gas-fired boiler and generator systems. Shares rose nearly 31% after B&W reported fourth-quarter revenue of $161 million, beating analyst estimates. A securities filing set a fixed fee of about $434.8 million plus variable charges.
Veeva earnings: $3.6 billion outlook and buyback plan as AI agents roll out

Veeva earnings: $3.6 billion outlook and buyback plan as AI agents roll out

Veeva Systems reported fourth-quarter revenue up 16% to $836 million and adjusted earnings of $2.06 per share, beating analyst expectations. The company forecast fiscal 2027 revenue of $3.585 billion to $3.6 billion and launched a $2 billion share buyback, purchasing $180 million in stock in the quarter. Cash and short-term investments totaled $6.6 billion at year-end.
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

Stock Market Today

  • Investors Watch Nvidia Earnings, Rising Bond Yields, and Commodity Supercycle This Week
    May 18, 2026, 5:37 AM EDT. Investors remain cautious as key U.S. stock indexes closed last week slightly lower amid geopolitical tensions and rising bond yields, with the 10-year Treasury yield nearing 4.6%. The spotlight this week is on Nvidia's earnings report on Wednesday, following its recent market value surge beyond $5.7 trillion. Nvidia's results are seen as a barometer for the semiconductor sector and AI-related tech. Market participants also anticipate earnings from Target, Walmart, Ryanair, and Booz Allen Hamilton, alongside economic data such as the University of Michigan's inflation expectations and sentiment readings. Outcome of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's China visit and trade discussions will be closely monitored for potential market impact.

Latest articles

ServiceNow Draws Attention Ahead of Monday Opening

ServiceNow Draws Attention Ahead of Monday Opening

18 May 2026
ServiceNow shares closed at $95.07 Friday after a 5.05% jump, outpacing major indexes but still trading 55% below last July’s high. Trading volume reached 34.2 million shares, well above average. Investors are weighing new AI product launches and raised 2026 subscription revenue guidance against ongoing concerns about margins and software market disruption.
Riot Platforms’ AI spending puts pressure on Bitcoin investors

Riot Platforms’ AI spending puts pressure on Bitcoin investors

18 May 2026
Riot Platforms shares last traded at $23.49, valuing the company at $8.2 billion, as it shifts from bitcoin mining to AI data-center leasing. AMD expanded its lease at Riot’s Rockdale, Texas site to 50 megawatts, with contract value potentially reaching $1 billion. Riot and Terrestrial Energy signed an MOU to explore data centers powered by small modular nuclear reactors. Jefferies rated Riot at hold with a $24 price target.
Ryanair Cautions on Summer Fares, Puts Focus on Low-Cost Flights in Europe

Ryanair Cautions on Summer Fares, Puts Focus on Low-Cost Flights in Europe

18 May 2026
Ryanair warned peak summer fares will be flat, reversing earlier expectations of a rise, citing late bookings and fuel costs. Shares fell over 3% despite record annual profit of 2.26 billion euros. The airline hedged 80% of its jet-fuel needs but declined to issue a 2027 profit forecast, citing ongoing volatility. Revenue rose 11% to 15.54 billion euros, with passenger traffic up 4%.
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