Franklin Universal Trust (FT) Stock News

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Microsoft Corporation alleging that executives made false and misleading statements regarding Copilot product issues, underperformance versus competitors, and undisclosed capital expenditure increases. The lawsuit covers the period from May 1, 2025 to January 28, 2026. Microsoft's stock fell nearly 10% following disappointing earnings results that revealed Azure growth slowdown due to GPU/CPU diversion to AI projects, only 15 million paid Copilot seats versus analyst expectations, and capital expenditures of $37.5 billion in Q2 fiscal 2026.

A comparison of two defensive equity ETFs reveals that iShares U.S. Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) outperforms First Trust Nasdaq Food & Beverage ETF (FTXG) with lower expenses (0.38% vs 0.60%), higher 5-year returns ($1,364 vs $955 on $1,000 invested), and broader sector exposure. While FTXG offers a niche food and beverage focus, IYK's superior performance and lower costs make it the more attractive option for conservative investors.

UK's FTSE 100 recovers from lows as Israel and Iran halt strikes on each other  Reuters

The deal would be one of the largest to ever come to market, ahead of a similar transaction from Carlyle Group Inc.’s AlpInvest unit last year

Four young entrepreneurs from the Midwest region have advanced to the National Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase in November after winning regional competitions in St. Louis, Chicago, and satellite locations. The winners developed innovative ventures including an AI-powered community service platform, a youth resilience storytelling app, noise-muffling headphones, and a student task-matching application.

India's GIFT City is witnessing senior banking exits as global lenders expand operations, highlighting growing competition for talent in the finance hub.

Fiduciary Management acquired 823,713 shares of FTI Consulting for approximately $140.52 million in Q1 2026, representing a contrarian bet on a high-quality business that has underperformed the market. Despite a 10% year-over-year stock decline, FTI Consulting showed strong Q1 revenue growth of 9.5% with particularly robust performance in Corporate Finance (up 19%) and Strategic Communications (up 18%), though adjusted EBITDA margins compressed from 12.8% to 9.8% due to increased compensation and SG&A expenses.

FTSE 100 snaps seven-day winning streak after US and Iran trade airstrikes  Reuters

SpaceX has become eligible for fast-track inclusion in major U.S. and global stock indexes under new FTSE Russell rules, with an estimated investable market cap of $70 billion. The company is expected to list as early as June 12, 2026, potentially becoming the largest IPO in history at a $1.75 trillion valuation. However, critics warn that Nasdaq's rule changes allowing mega-cap IPOs into the Nasdaq-100 after just 15 trading days could create forced buying and volatility before normal price discovery.

London's FTSE 250 midcap index scales near three-month high; BP slides  Reuters

FT Portfolios Canada Co. announced cash distributions for five of its exchange-traded funds listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and Cboe Canada for the month ending May 31, 2026. Distributions are payable on June 5, 2026, with per-unit amounts ranging from $0.05 to $0.13 across the funds.

US CFTC probes spike in oil futures trading before Trump postponed Iran strikes, WSJ reports  Reuters

Jay Wright, former co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Castellum Inc., has acquired majority voting control of Worldwide NFT, Inc. (OTC: WNFTD; WNFT). The company has undergone a 1-for-10 reverse stock split, resulting in approximately 94.35 million common shares outstanding with no debt. Wright plans to pursue an acquisition-driven growth strategy targeting software, managed services, AI, robotics, and manufacturing sectors, with the goal of building a profitable public company eligible for major exchange listing.

FTI Consulting announced the appointment of Emanuele Grasso as Senior Managing Director and Leader of its Corporate Finance segment in Italy. Grasso brings over 30 years of experience in advising financial services clients on M&A, due diligence, and SPAC transactions across 20+ countries. The appointment reflects FTI's strategic investment in expanding its capabilities in Italy and strengthening its financial services offerings across the EMEA region.

Africa’s richest man Dangote eyes Kenya for new refinery, FT reports  Reuters

Polish PM questions US loyalty in case of Russian attack, FT reports  Reuters