Vodafone buys out CK Hutchison's VodafoneThree stake for £4.3bn
Vodafone Group (LON:VOD) agreed to pay £4.3bn in cash to cancel CK Hutchison's 49% holding in VodafoneThree, making it the sole owner of the UK's largest mobile operator and a fast-growing broadband provider. The deal resolves the ownership structure of the merged entity, created from the combination of Vodafone UK and Three UK, and gives Vodafone full control of the integration and its strategic direction. The shares edged up 1.2% to 118.7p on the announcement. Chief executive Margherita Della Valle has positioned full ownership as central to unlocking the synergies underpinning the original merger rationale.
HSBC lifts 2026 net interest income guidance to around $46bn
HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) raised its 2026 banking net interest income guidance to approximately $46bn after a strong first quarter in which revenue rose 6% to $18.6bn and profit before tax came in at $9.4bn. Chief executive Georges Elhedery pointed to disciplined cost management and resilient lending margins as the drivers of the upgrade. The shares added 0.8% to 1,359.4p.
Kodal Minerals receives ~$89m from first three spodumene shipments
Kodal Minerals (AIM:KOD) confirmed its Bougouni lithium project in Mali has generated approximately US$89m from three spodumene concentrate shipments, with mining and exports continuing without interruption. The milestone marks a significant transition from development to cash-generating production for the AIM-listed miner. Bernard Aylward's team has moved rapidly from first production to commercial export, and the revenue figure provides early validation of the project's economics. The shares were quoted at 0.31p.
Andrada Mining publishes high-grade Lithium Ridge drill results and expands Stage 1
Andrada Mining (AIM:ATM) released assay results from seven diamond drill holes at its Lithium Ridge project in Namibia as inside information under MAR, reporting multiple high-grade lithium intersections. The company simultaneously announced an expansion of its Stage 1 drilling programme, signalling confidence in the scale of the mineralised system. Professor Laurence Robb is among the technical advisers supporting the project. The shares were quoted at 4.275p.
Plus500 reports Q1 trading ahead of expectations
Plus500 (LON:PLUS) said first-quarter 2026 trading came in ahead of market expectations, with the board expressing confidence in the group's full-year 2026 outlook in a trading statement issued ahead of its annual general meeting. The update drove the shares up 3.8% to 4,622p. The online trading platform has benefited from elevated market volatility, which typically drives higher customer activity and revenue across its CFD products.
Vast Resources extends RTO deadline to 30 June after Tajikistan approval
Vast Resources (AIM:VAST) agreed an amendment with Bay Square Pacific to extend the long-stop date on the sale and purchase agreement underpinning its proposed reverse takeover of Gulf International Minerals from 5 May to 30 June, following receipt of approval from Tajikistan authorities. The extension clears a key regulatory hurdle and keeps the path to AIM admission open, with the company now working towards completing the remaining conditions for the transaction. The shares were quoted at 0.12p.
Light Science wins first Injectaclad supply order worth ~£0.41m
Light Science Technologies Holdings (AIM:LST) secured its first Injectaclad materials contract since acquiring RLUK Injection, a c.£0.41m, 19-week order that the group said will be recognised in the current financial year. The win represents an early commercial return on the acquisition and validates the strategic rationale for adding Injectaclad to the group's product portfolio. Despite the positive news, the shares fell 16.9% to 1.35p. Simon Deacon leads the group as it works to build recurring revenue from the new division.
Wizz Air carries 22% more passengers in April
Wizz Air Holdings (LON:WIZZ) carried 6.63m passengers in April, up 21.9% year-on-year, as capacity rose 23.1% to 7.46m seats. The load factor came in at 88.9%, a solid utilisation figure given the scale of the capacity addition. Despite the strong traffic data, the shares slipped 3.0% to 967p, suggesting the market had already priced in robust growth or was focused on cost pressures facing the wider aviation sector. Chief executive Jozsef Varadi has been expanding the fleet aggressively across Central and Eastern European routes.
Ryanair April traffic rises 5% to 19.3m passengers
Ryanair carried 19.3m passengers in April, up 5% year-on-year, operating more than 108,000 flights over the month. The growth rate is more modest than Wizz Air's but comes off a substantially larger base, reflecting Ryanair's position as Europe's largest low-cost carrier by volume. The traffic update adds to a picture of continued strong demand across European short-haul aviation heading into the summer travel season.
Invinity targets 66% Endurium cost reduction by late 2026
Invinity Energy Systems intensified its Endurium cost-reduction programme, now targeting a minimum 66% reduction in product cost per kWh versus the VS3 baseline, to be delivered by late 2026, some 18 months ahead of prior expectations. The acceleration reflects both engineering progress and a sharper commercial urgency as the vanadium flow battery developer competes for utility-scale energy storage contracts. Jonathan Marren is leading the programme as the company works to bring Endurium to cost-competitive parity with rival long-duration storage technologies.
Total Graphite commissions updated feasibility for US PSG anode plant
Total Graphite (AIM:TGR) said it will commission updated feasibility studies on a purified spherical graphite plant in Reno, Nevada, a facility first modelled in 2017, and consolidate those findings with its Montepuez definitive feasibility study to advance a mine-to-anode supply chain. The move positions the company to capitalise on growing US demand for domestically sourced battery anode materials. The shares eased 3.2% to 1.4525p.
ImmuPharma engages tranScrip for Kapiglucagon IND-enabling programme
ImmuPharma (AIM:IMM) engaged specialist regulatory consultancy tranScrip to prepare a pre-IND meeting with the FDA and pursue a 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway for Kapiglucagon, its diabetes prodrug. The 505(b)(2) route allows the company to rely in part on existing safety and efficacy data, potentially reducing the time and cost to approval. Dr Sébastien Goudreau is overseeing the programme as ImmuPharma works to advance Kapiglucagon towards a US clinical trial. The shares added 0.9% to 4.9p.
Altona publishes JORC resource estimates for Monte Muambe fluorspar and gallium
Altona Rare Earths (AIM:REE) published JORC-compliant Mineral Resource Estimates for fluorspar and gallium at its Monte Muambe project in Mozambique, outlining a 9.5-year base-case fluorspar mine and a materially larger gallium resource with upside potential. Chief executive Cedric Simonet and technical director Joshua Hattingh described the estimates as a foundation for advancing the project towards a preliminary economic assessment. The shares were quoted at 4.0p.
Empire Metals completes Pitfield drilling and expands high-grade titanium core
Empire Metals (AIM:EEE) reported initial assays from the first 88 holes of a 712-hole campaign at its Pitfield titanium project in Western Australia, confirming multiple near-surface intervals above 7% TiO₂ and a peak 2-metre result of 17.83% TiO₂. The results expand the high-grade core at the Thomas zone and support the company's ambition to define a large-scale, shallow titanium deposit. Shaun Bunn's team is advancing the remaining 624 holes, with further assays expected to materially grow the resource envelope. The shares rose 2.7% to 35.7p.
Kosmos Energy raises 2026 debt-reduction target after record production quarter
Kosmos Energy lifted its full-year debt-reduction goal to approximately 20% following record quarterly production and a series of strategic partnerships and financing moves. The upgrade reflects both operational momentum and a more aggressive balance-sheet management stance as the deepwater oil and gas producer works to reduce leverage and improve financial flexibility heading into the second half of the year.
Norwegian Cruise cuts profit forecast on Middle East fuel cost pressures
Norwegian Cruise cut its full-year profit forecast after rising fuel costs linked to the Middle East conflict pushed operating expenses higher. The guidance reduction highlights the sensitivity of cruise operators to energy price volatility, with the company absorbing a meaningful increase in bunker fuel costs that has outpaced earlier hedging assumptions.
