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By Stuart Condie

  SYDNEY--Australia's ANZ Group scrapped its share buyback and plans to invest in mortgage and commercial bankers as its new CEO tries to boost productivity and returns. 

  ANZ on Monday said it would halt its ongoing share buyback, which has about 800 million Australian dollars, or US$518 million, remaining. This will allow it to return about A$1 billion in surplus capital to the bank, it said. 

  ANZ, which is Australia's fourth-largest bank by market capitalization, will invest heavily in its in-house mortgage sales force with the aim of increasing the number of lenders in its branches by up to 50%. 

  It also wants to increase the number of commercial bankers servicing its business and private customers by up to 50%. It plans to develop its own pipeline of bankers in a new Commercial Bankers Academy. 

  "Our people will deliver our strategy, and we must focus on a culture of customers, performance and talent," said Chief Executive Nuno Matos, who took charge this year. 

  Write to Stuart Condie at stuart.condie@wsj.com 

  (END) Dow Jones Newswires

  October 12, 2025 19:08 ET (23:08 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

If you want to take a real-time sample of the global economy in action at any one moment, then the Cathay Cargo Hub at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) is a particularly fascinating node. 
 
HKG is the world’s busiest air-cargo hub and no airline moves more freight through it – more than 1.7 million tonnes annually – than Cathay Pacific. Founded in 1946 as a cargo operator between Australia and China, Cathay now manages a sprawling 246,000 sq m hub and the constant hum of palletised and shrink-wrapped goods. In just one section of the warehouse, the inventory ranges from huge cases of Château d’Arche wine to Golden Lily mangoes from the Philippines, alongside priceless artworks packed in Cadogan Tate crates – all destined for the holds of windowless cargo freighters.
 
Air cargo accounts for less than one per cent of all goods shipped by tonnage globally but it makes up some 35 per cent of the total value. It carries all the things the world needs or wants in a hurry, from the latest iPhone and cold-chain pharma to Italian supercars and oil-drilling machinery. This urgency is just one of the reasons why air cargo is worth paying attention to: when people stop buying the things they need, it’s often a reliable signal that a recession might be on the horizon.

On a recent weekday morning, the warehouse was particularly active, catching up from the two-day stoppage enforced by Super Typhoon Ragasa, a level-10 storm that sideswiped Hong Kong. But the air-cargo world faces headwinds beyond the weather, including the unpredictable currents of geopolitics. 

Not long ago, air cargo prices were being driven upwards as a result of “fast fashion” purchases and other inexpensive goods from Chinese companies such as Shein and Temu. But after the Trump administration eliminated de minimis exemptions on goods worth less than $800 (€688) – precisely what Shein and Temu had exploited – US-bound air cargo from China – a key, typically one-way route – fell by at least 25 per cent.

“Supply chains don’t change overnight,” says Tom Owen, cargo director at Cathay Cargo. “But there has been a recalibration.” One benefit for air-cargo companies such as Cathay is that they don’t own factories – they own planes. This agility can work in their favour, as Cathay Group CEO Ronald Lam noted at the Routes World conference in Hong Kong, the day after the typhoon blew through. The uncertainty of tariffs, he said, created a “rush” to place orders. Air cargo, with its far shorter lead times compared with ocean shipping, “is really well positioned to capture that rush.” Hong Kong’s position as a global hub means that Cathay Group can adjust its routes swiftly. “We are getting more cargo from India and Southeast Asia, routed via Hong Kong to the US, to replenish the slowdown on US-bound cargo from China.”

During a week when the Trump administration threatened yet again to escalate the trade war that it began, air-cargo companies such as Cathay find themselves in the eye of the storm. But this is an industry in which agility and flexibility are key. During the coronavirus pandemic, cargo kept many airlines afloat as they quickly converted their passenger fleet into impromptu freighters, loading cargo where passengers normally sat. The latest disruptions present a new challenge but also a lesson. While long-term planning is crucial to success in business, the best strategies leave room to adapt. Take it from Cathay, which has dealt with its fair share of turbulence: be ready to change course quickly, even while mid-air.

Tom Vanderbilt is a regular Monocle contributor. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

Perth, Australia (ABN Newswire) – OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCMKTS:OTCM), operator of regulated markets for 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced that Locksley Resources Ltd (ASX:LKY,OTC:LKYRF) (FRA:X5L) (OTCMKTS:LKYRF), an exploration and development company focused on rare earths and antimony critical minerals, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market.

Highlights

– Locksley Resources Limited has qualified to trade on the OTCQX(R) Best Market, upgrading from the OTCQB(R) Venture Market

– Trading on OTCQX enhances Locksley’s visibility and accessibility to U.S. investors, supporting its U.S. focused critical minerals strategy

– Locksley’s flagship Mojave Project in California is strategically located adjacent to MP Materials’ Mountain Pass Mine, targeting rare earth elements (REEs) and antimony as part of a fully integrated mine-tomarket strategy

– The Company’s downstream technology partnerships underpin its role in re-establishing U.S. domestic supply chains for critical materials, with a particular focus on antimony

– Rare earths and Antimony are front and center in the global race to secure critical materials, with Locksley’s Mojave Project positioned at the heart of America’s efforts to restore domestic supply independence through a 100% U.S. mine-to-market strategy

Locksley has upgraded to OTCQX from the OTCQB Venture Market, and the symbol remains as “LKYRF.” U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

The OTCQX Market is designed for established, investor focused U.S. and international companies. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. Graduating to the OTCQX Market marks an important milestone for companies, enabling them to demonstrate their qualifications and build visibility among U.S. investors.

Rare Earths & Antimony – Front and Centre in a Shifting Global Landscape

Locksley’s progression to the OTCQX comes amid escalating global focus on rare earth security, following new export restrictions and rising trade tensions. As nations move to safeguard access to critical materials, Locksley’s Mojave Project stands at the center of America’s effort to restore domestic supply independence. With a fully integrated mine-to-market strategy across antimony and rare earths, the Company is advancing a 100% American made approach that aligns directly with U.S. national policy priorities and the reshoring of strategic materials.

Nathan Lude – Head of Strategy, Capital Markets & Commercialisation commented

“Graduating to the OTCQX Market in record time since our initial listing just over three months ago, is a significant milestone for Locksley as we broaden our visibility and accessibility to U.S. investors. Our Mojave Rare Earths and Antimony Critical Minerals Project are strategically located in a tier-one jurisdiction adjacent to MP Materials’ Mountain Pass Mine. Locksley is positioned to play a pivotal role in re-establishing domestic supply chains through its mine-to-market strategy for critical materials, with a particular focus on antimony.”

About Locksley Resources Limited:

Locksley Resources Limited (ASX:LKY,OTC:LKYRF) (FRA:X5L) (OTCMKTS:LKYRF) is an ASX listed explorer focused on critical minerals in the United States of America. The Company is actively advancing exploration across two key assets: the Mojave Project in California, targeting rare earth elements (REEs) and antimony. Locksley Resources aims to generate shareholder value through strategic exploration, discovery and development in this highly prospective mineral region.

Mojave Project

Located in the Mojave Desert, California, the Mojave Project comprises over 250 claims across two contiguous prospect areas, namely, the North Block/Northeast Block and the El Campo Prospect. The North Block directly abuts claims held by MP Materials, while El Campo lies along strike of the Mountain Pass Mine and is enveloped by MP Materials’ claims, highlighting the strong geological continuity and exploration potential of the project area.

In addition to rare earths, the Mojave Project hosts the historic “Desert Antimony Mine”, which last operated in 1937. Despite the United States currently having no domestic antimony production, demand for the metal remains high due to its essential role in defense systems, semiconductors, and metal alloys. With significant surface sample results, the Desert Mine prospect represents one of the highest-grade known antimony occurrences in the U.S.

Locksley’s North American position is further strengthened by rising geopolitical urgency to diversify supply chains away from China, the global leader in both REE & antimony production. With its maiden drilling program planned, the Mojave Project is uniquely positioned to align with U.S. strategic objectives around critical mineral independence and economic security.

Tottenham Project

Locksley’s Australian portfolio comprises the advanced Tottenham Copper-Gold Project in New South Wales, focused on VMS-style mineralisation

About OTC Markets Group Inc.:

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX:OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our public markets: OTCQX(R) Best Market, OTCQB(R) Venture Market, OTCID(TM) Basic Market and Pink Limited(TM) Market. Our OTC Link(R) Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading.

Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.

OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN, OTC Link NQB, and MOON ATS(TM) are each SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.

Source:
Locksley Resources Limited OTC Markets Group Inc.

Contact:
Locksley Resources Limited
T: +61 8 9481 0389
E: info@locksleyresources.com.au

1. The Activities overview page is all grown up

When the Activities overview page first appeared in LMS 5.0, we were thrilled to have a place to go to easily see all course activities — and their due dates, etc. — all in one place. When the Activities overview page debuted, only the Assignment activity was fully supported (teachers could easily see what they needed to grade, and learners could easily see what they needed to do).

But in LMS 5.1, this gets even better. Now the Activities overview page works across all the major activities — forums, quizzes, H5P, wikis, lessons, glossaries, even BigBlueButton sessions.

Why this matters: Instead of being just a tidy list, this page now acts like a real command centre. Teachers can see what needs grading or follow-up without digging around. Learners see their progress laid out clearly: what’s done, what’s next. That’s a big deal for reducing confusion.