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Mercury NZ Lifts Q4 Margin 33%

Mercury NZ posted a 33% year-on-year jump in Q4 trading margin to NZ$390 million, supported by generation of 2,344 GWh as renewable output rose. The company advanced its renewable pipeline with all Kaiwera Downs Stage 2 turbines installed, Kaiwaikawe start of generation, fast-track consent for Puke Kapo Hau, a $75 million appraisal drilling commitment, and the launch of Flex Rates for customers.

5 sources

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First Financial Bancorp Records Q2 Earnings, Plans Merger

Both FVCBankcorp and First Financial Bancorp reported strong Q2 2026 results, with FVCB delivering margin expansion and a solid ROAA while FFBC posted record earnings and moved forward with an all-stock merger with Finward Bancorp alongside a dividend increase. FVCB also declared a $0.07 quarterly dividend and beat earnings estimates, with activity around deposits, valuation signals, and ongoing efficiency gains shaping the stock narrative.

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FACT II terminates Precision Aerospace merger

Fact II Acquisition Corp. terminated its proposed business combination with Precision Aerospace & Defense Group, Inc. after failing to obtain the necessary shareholder approvals and closing conditions by the deadline, with no breaches alleged by either party. The SPAC will continue pursuing other opportunities and has noted that sponsor and related support agreements have terminated as part of the termination, with further details to be provided in a Form 8-K.

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First Financial to acquire Finward Bancorp stock deal

The First Financial Bancorp and Finward Bancorp have agreed to an all-stock merger, with Finward shareholders receiving 1.35 shares of First Financial for each Finward share and the deal expected to close in Q4 2026 subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals. The transaction would merge Finward’s banking subsidiary into First Financial’s and significantly expand First Financial’s Chicago-area footprint, boosting deposits in the region by about 75% to over $4 billion.

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Cory Mills finances under DOJ probe

The Department of Justice is investigating Florida Rep. Cory Mills, with probes focusing on his finances and alleged misconduct, while he also faces a separate House Ethics Committee inquiry that began in 2024 and expanded in 2025; Mills denies any wrongdoing amid fundraising struggles and political pressure in the upcoming August primary. Reports also indicate FBI involvement and multiple allegations including domestic violence and “stolen valor,” as Mills navigates overlapping investigations from federal and congressional bodies.

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Alaska Air Posts Q2 Loss, Downgrades Q3 View

Alaska Air posted a second-quarter loss and forecast third-quarter earnings near or below Wall Street expectations as jet fuel costs stay high amid renewed Iran-related tensions, pressuring margins. The airline is diversifying fuel sourcing and raising fares to offset costs, with Q3 guidance ranging from break-even to about $1 a share and continued attention on fuel-driven earnings pressure.

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Alaska Plans Hawaii Inter-Island Fleet Shift

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are moving to replace Hawaiian’s inter-island Boeing 717s with Boeing 737-800s starting in 2028, with a dedicated Hawaii-based sub-fleet and initial 737-800 deployment to Honolulu–Kahului in late 2026 to bolster capacity and service. The plan includes expanded cargo operations with four 737-800 freighters, Starlink connectivity, enhanced premium seating, and a long-term investment to sustain Hawaii’s essential island-to-island travel network under the Hawaiian Airlines brand.

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Mubadala, Embraer sign aerospace partnership expanding UAE manufacturing

Embraer and Mubadala signed a strategic framework at Farnborough to deepen collaboration across the aerospace value chain, including supply, MRO, workforce development, and research and development, with plans for a co-located UAE innovation hub and Emirati training. The agreement also contemplates Strata becoming a tier-one supplier to Embraer and reinforces the UAE’s aerospace ecosystem and Abu Dhabi’s industrial diversification goals.

9 sources

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Ocado to build large European automated CFC

Ocado announced a large, highly automated Customer Fulfilment Centre for a fast-growing European national retailer, using its Re:Imagined technology like 600s bots and an automated freezer, with go-live slated for FY28 and initial operations at just over half capacity. The deal, part of ongoing expansion alongside its Asda agreement, is not expected to have a material impact on FY26 and Ocado remains focused on achieving cash-flow positive performance in the near term.

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Arcus Debuts Tokenized Stocks on Robinhood Chain

Arcus, the Robinhood-backed DEX, expanded to tokenized stocks and perpetual futures on Robinhood Chain, offering more than 95 stock tokens and various perpetual markets with a self-custodial account and USDG as the main collateral. Early activity signals strong liquidity potential and growing perpetual interest, but long-term success hinges on converting spot flow into durable perpetual books and navigating regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions.

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OpenAI Reports 10 Million Agent Users

OpenAI says 10 million people are using Codex and ChatGPT Work, signaling a rapid shift from prompt-based use to embedded, paid workflow automation across enterprise apps. The surge, aided by GPT-5.6, reshapes monetization and cloud dynamics after Microsoft’s exclusivity was loosened, intensifying competition with Anthropic and Salesforce as organizations pay for integrated agents rather than standalone tools.

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Envoy Medical 3-Month Milestone for 56 Patients

Envoy Medical has activated all 56 participants in its Acclaim fully implanted cochlear implant trial, and ongoing follow-up is the focus as regulators review safety and hearing outcomes ahead of a planned FDA PMA submission. Interim data show strong gains, including a 12-month mean word recognition around 53.2%, with six-month and 12-month milestones targeted for late 2026 and April 2027 respectively.

6 sources

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Powerlaw Plans 4.3M Share Buyback

Powerlaw Corp. (PWRL) disclosed a 12-month share repurchase program to buy up to 4,324,293 shares, representing 10% of outstanding stock, but only when the shares trade at a 5% or greater discount to NAV. While the news sparked roughly a 4% pre-market uptick, the program's meaningful impact depends on the stock remaining sufficiently below NAV to enable repeated repurchases.

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Paragon Banking closes £200m Green Tier 2 bond

Paragon Banking Group PLC upsized a £200 million Green Tier 2 bond to meet strong demand, at a 6.5% coupon maturing in 2036 and priced 205 basis points over gilts, with the deal supporting low-carbon residential and motor-vehicle funding. It also announced the early redemption of £150 million of Tier 2 notes due 2031, and completed a new £250 million green Tier 2 issue at 4.25% coupon with a 10-year maturity, underscoring an active reshaping of its capital structure toward sustainable financing.

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Wizz Air MD Delehant Departing July 2026

Wizz Air says Group Managing Director Michael Delehant will leave on July 31, 2026, with senior leaders reporting to CEO József Váradi and an incoming Chief Technical Officer, Jingyuan Sun, set to join. The airline has not named a successor and emphasizes a continuity-focused leadership transition amid the restructuring.

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Zaggle approves ₹7.97 crore Unobanc stake

Zaggle Prepaid Ocean Services Limited plans to invest up to 7.97 crore (approximately 79.7 million rupees) to acquire a 19.9% stake in Unobanc Private Limited, with board approvals and completion expected within 90 days as part of a cross-border payments and fintech expansion. The deal, not a related-party transaction, aims to bolster Zaggle’s forex, remittance, and digital banking capabilities leveraging Unobanc’s FFMC license and RBI approvals to serve retail and corporate clients outside India.

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Samsung establishes RX Office to advance robotics

Samsung is establishing the RX (Robotics eXperience) Business Promotion Office, reporting directly to the CEO, to unify dispersed robotics capabilities and push robotics as a core growth driver across consumer and industrial domains. It will build a data factory at the Gumi plant, create global research hubs in the US, China, and Japan, recruit leading talent, and coordinate mid- to long-term strategy, technology development, and commercialization to accelerate field deployment of intelligent robots.

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Ukraine Receives $690 Million IMF Disbursement Amid War

The IMF has approved a $690 million disbursement for Ukraine under its $8.1 billion loan program, bringing total funding to about $2.2 billion as Kyiv maintains macroeconomic stability amid ongoing war. While targets have been met, several structural reforms slowed or were delayed, prompting a revised reform timetable and additional corrective measures to keep the program on track amid heightened security risks and a projected slower 2026 growth.

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Nafarrete Named AFP Chief in Transition

Lieutenant General Antonio Nafarrete was appointed chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, replacing General Romeo Brawner Jr. in a three-year term under RA 11939, with Lieutenant General Donald Gumiran slated to become the Army’s commander; the changes come as the AFP continues its transition focus from internal to external defense and modernization. The leadership shake-up was formalized ahead of the AFP change-of-command ceremony and is part of Marcos Jr.’s broader effort to strengthen the military’s readiness and capabilities.

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LSE plans night-time trading venue 2027

The London Stock Exchange plans a dedicated overnight trading venue in 2027 that will run from 5:00 pm to 7:50 am London time, initially offering exchange-traded products while leaving the main market’s hours unchanged. The move, touted by LSE chief executive Julia Hoggett as meeting growing retail demand and competition from 24/7 crypto platforms, will also position the LSE to support future AI-driven trading tools.

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Evion Group Secures Maniry Graphite Permits Madagascar

Madagascar has granted Evion Group's Maniry graphite project mining permits, completing the conversion of exploration licenses and securing tenure under the new mining code, making Maniry the first critical minerals project approved under the reform. The milestone unlocks financing, offtake deals, and a final investment decision, with EU endorsement of Maniry as a strategic project and continued progress toward development alongside Evion’s Panthera downstream venture in India.

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Trump Tightens Waivers in Defense Supply Chains

"President Donald Trump signed an executive order to tighten defense procurement rules by curbing waivers, requiring contractors to prove domestic sourcing, disclose material origins, and submit mitigation plans while the Pentagon maps supply chains and replaces unreliable suppliers. The move targets reducing reliance on China and other adversaries by accelerating domestic production of critical minerals and related components, with enforcement mechanisms and a planned effective date to phase out prohibited foreign sources.

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Metaguest Board Shake-Up Intensifies Governance Fight

Metaguest is embroiled in a governance battle as founder Antonio Comparelli steps down as CEO but stays on the board, while a shareholder requisition seeks a special meeting to force changes to the board. The resignations of Janssen and Comparelli mark the next phase of the governance transition as the company reviews the requisition and continues operations, including a $1 million secured loan facility, with no resolution yet on leadership or board control.

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India raises windfall taxes on diesel, ATF exports

India has raised windfall taxes on diesel and aviation turbine fuel exports to ₹15.5 and ₹14.5 per litre respectively, while trimming the petrol export levy to ₹2.5 per litre, effective July 16 as part of a regular fortnightly review to stabilize domestic fuel availability amid volatile global oil prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions. The move aims to curb export surges, protect domestic supply, and ensure government revenue, with the context of elevated crude prices and supply disruptions influencing policy.

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