Group 1 - Chesnara PLC is acquiring Scottish Widows Europe from Lloyds Banking Group for €110 million in cash, which will add €1.7 billion of assets and is expected to generate €250 million of lifetime cash [1] - Empire Metals Ltd has initiated its largest drilling campaign at the Pitfield project in Western Australia, planning to drill more than 750 holes to upgrade and expand its titanium resource [1] Group 2 - Tertiary Minerals PLC reported positive momentum in Zambia following a new copper-silver discovery at Mushima North, with drilling set to resume in the second quarter and a JORC Exploration Target expected soon [2] - Applied Nutrition PLC anticipates full-year results to exceed forecasts after a strong performance in January, with first-half revenue increasing by 57% to £74.5 million and full-year guidance raised to approximately £140 million [2] Group 3 - Pan African Resources PLC will hold a new general meeting in London on 26 March due to a court ruling that the notice for its previous capital reduction vote was not properly given [3]

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 17, 2026) - F3 Uranium Corp. (TSXV: FUU) (OTCQB: FUUFF) is pleased to announce that the Company will be presenting at Red Cloud's Pre-PDAC Mining Showcase. We invite our shareholders and all interested parties to join us. The conference will be held in-person at The Omni King Edward Hotel on February 26-27, 2026. Dev Randhawa - Chairman & CEO will be present on February 27th at 10:00 AM Eastern Standard time, providing an update on the Company’s Strategy, recent ...

Group 1 - European equity futures are pointing lower as Wall Street resumes trading after the President's Day holiday, with the NASDAQ experiencing significant declines due to ongoing fears of AI disruption in the markets [2] - European finance ministers are committed to enhancing the euro's global role amid rising geopolitical pressures, while the EU prepares to introduce draft laws aimed at protecting key industries [2][22] - The UK Office of National Statistics reported a decrease of 11,000 in payroll employment from December 2025 to January 2026, with a claimant count increase of 28.6% month-on-month, indicating a slight deterioration in the labor market [4][5] Group 2 - Average weekly earnings in the UK rose by 4.2% year-on-year for the three months ending December 2025, falling short of the expected 4.6%, which may influence the Bank of England's monetary policy decisions [5][8] - The Bank of England is shifting its focus from inflation concerns to weaker demand, as it anticipates inflation returning to the 2% target by April [9][17] - Youth unemployment in the UK has reached 15.9%, with nearly one million individuals not engaged in education, employment, or training, highlighting significant challenges for younger demographics in the labor market [14][16] Group 3 - The EU is reportedly planning to mandate that at least 70% of components in state-supported electric vehicles be produced within the bloc, as part of efforts to protect its industries from competition, particularly from China [22] - The UK Trade Minister is set to meet with his French counterpart to ensure UK companies remain integrated within European supply chains amid new EU regulations [21][22] - The ongoing geopolitical tensions, particularly regarding the Ukraine conflict and relations with Iran, are expected to have long-term implications for European markets and economies [49][50]

JOUMANNA: GOOD MORNING. IT IS "HORIZONS MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA." OUR TOP STORIES THIS MORNING. U.S. FUTURES FALLING AND TREASURIES EDGE HIGHER UNDERSCORING A MOVE HEADING INTO THE MARKET’S REOPENING AFTER A HOLIDAY.WTI CRUDE RISING AS TRADERS PRICE IN HIGHER GEO-POLITICAL RISKS AS IRAN HOLDS NAVAL EXERCISES BEFORE TALKS WITH THE U.S. IN GENEVA TODAY. THE WORLD’S LARGEST MINER REPORTS HIGH FIRST QUARTER PROFIT VIA THE COPPER RALLY. YESTERDAY WAS VERY THIN LIQUIDITY IN THESE MARKETS.IT IS LUNAR NEW YEAR. HAPP ...

Core Insights - BHP reported strong operational and financial performance for the December 2025 half year, driven by effective production delivery, cost control, and favorable commodity prices [1] - The company's strategy execution is evident, with over half of earnings for the period derived from the copper business, reflecting a 30 percentage point increase over the past three years [2] - BHP has established a robust growth pipeline in copper and potash, aligning with anticipated strengthening dynamics in the copper market [3] - Since the merger of BHP and Billiton, the company has achieved the highest total shareholder return among major diversified miners, approximately four times that of the MSCI World Metals and Mining Index [4]

Core Insights - The miner's 2025 earnings increased by over 50% year-on-year [1] Group 1 - The significant rise in earnings indicates strong operational performance and market conditions favorable to the mining sector [1]

Market Overview - The S&P/ASX 200 closed up on February 17, 2026, gaining 21.80 points or 0.24% to reach 8,958.90, with a 1.03% increase over the last five days and currently 1.71% off its 52-week high [1][10] - The mining subindex rose by 1.3%, driven by BHP's strong performance [2][10] Top Performers - JB Hi-Fi Limited (JBH) led the gains, closing at A$89.10, up A$6.70 or 8.13% [6][11] - Pro Medicus Limited (PME) followed, finishing at A$125.96 after rising A$8.99, a gain of 7.69% [6][11] - Other notable gainers included A2 Milk Company Limited (A2M) up 6.26%, PEXA Group Limited (PXA) up 4.76%, and BHP Group Limited (BHP) up 4.73% to A$52.74 [7][11] Sector Performance - The materials sector was the best-performing sector, gaining 1.28% on the day and 1.41% over the past five days [8][11] - Financials remained relatively unchanged, with losses in three of the big four banks offsetting Westpac's 0.3% gain [9][11] Upcoming Events - Investors are awaiting Rio Tinto's earnings report on February 19, 2026, and Fortescue's report next week, focusing on iron ore demand and sector outlook [3][10] - Traders are also eyeing upcoming jobs data expected to show a cooling in hiring and a slight uptick in unemployment, which will be crucial for the country's rate outlook [10][11]

Market Overview - European stocks are expected to open lower, with the U.K.'s FTSE index projected to decline by 0.2% and Germany's DAX, France's CAC 40, and Italy's FTSE MIB anticipated to drop by 0.4% [1] - Regional markets experienced a slight increase on Monday as investors processed comments from the Munich Security Conference [1] Earnings Focus - Investors are closely monitoring earnings reports, with companies such as Antofagasta, BHP Group, InterContinental Hotels Group, and EssilorLuxottica set to report on Tuesday [2] - Key data releases include German inflation, economic sentiment, and U.K. unemployment figures [2] Asian Market Activity - Asian financial markets are exhibiting caution due to holiday-thinned trading, with major markets in mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea closed for Lunar New Year holidays [3]

Core Insights - Kutcho Copper Corp. is advancing its high-grade copper-zinc project in Northwest British Columbia, highlighting two significant near-resource drill targets, Hamburger and The Gap, which cover over 4 km² combined and are planned for testing in the 2026 drill program [1][2]. Exploration Targets - The Hamburger target is a high-priority area of over 2.8 km², more than double the current known mineral resource at the Main Deposit, with geological indicators suggesting multiple exploration target types [4][9]. - The Gap target covers 1.3 km² and is located at the intersection of two important conductivity trends, indicating potential for VMS-style mineralization [11][12]. Historical Drilling Insights - Historical drill holes near the Hamburger target have shown significant anomalous values, such as 0.227% Cu and 1.07% Zn over 1.9 m, suggesting proximity to economic massive sulphide mineralization [6]. - The Gap target has also shown positive indicators of VMS mineralization, with historical drilling revealing carbonate alteration and pyrite mineralization over lengths of up to 15 m [12][13]. Planned Drilling Program - In 2026, the company plans to drill six holes targeting the Hamburger and The Gap areas, with each hole accompanied by a down-hole EM survey to refine target direction [16].

Core Viewpoint - The acquisition of Peel Mining by Aeris is a strategic move aimed at extending the mine life of the Tritton copper mine by integrating Peel's Cobar assets, specifically Mallee Bull and Wirlong [2]. Group 1: Acquisition Details - The acquisition is focused on enhancing the operational life and certainty of the Tritton mine [2]. - Aeris's primary interest in the acquisition lies in the copper assets of Peel Mining, rather than the entirety of Peel's portfolio [3]. Group 2: Strategic Importance - The deal is positioned as a strategic acquisition that aligns with Aeris's long-term operational goals [2][3]. - The integration of Peel's assets is expected to provide significant value to Aeris and its shareholders [1].