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Grosvenor Launches First Regional Flexible Workspace at The Hive Manchester

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Grosvenor Launches First Regional Flexible Workspace at The Hive Manchester

Grosvenor, the property company controlled by the Duke of Westminster, has broken ground on a £40m repositioning of The Hive in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, in a move that takes the group’s directly managed flexible workspace model outside London for the first time.

The Lever Street landmark, which extends to 78,000 sq ft, will be reimagined as a destination office building anchored by 25,500 sq ft of flex space and a hospitality-led amenity offer. Ground-floor units fronting Lever Street will house a deli and a restaurant, both run by what Grosvenor describes as “well-known Manchester names”, with a launch pencilled in for autumn 2026.

For Grosvenor’s UK property arm, the project is the most visible test yet of a regional strategy launched in 2020 that now stretches across roughly 500,000 sq ft in Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds. The portfolio is currently 90 per cent let, a figure that compares favourably with a regional office market still wrestling with hybrid working and a flight to quality.

The group has appointed x+why, the B Corp-certified workspace operator, to run more than 22,000 sq ft of the flex floors under a management agreement. The deal extends a partnership that began in 2023 at Fivefields, Grosvenor’s social-impact workspace in Victoria, and signals a growing appetite among traditional landlords to plug operating expertise into their own buildings rather than cede space to third-party flex providers on conventional leases.

Interiors will be designed by x+why’s in-house team, whydesign, with a deliberate nod to local craftsmanship. Pieces by Manchester-based furniture designers and artists including Aiden Donovan, Jesse Cracknell, Matt Dennis and Mima Adams will be woven into the scheme, while elements from the fit-out installed by previous tenant The Arts Council are to be repurposed, a small but pointed gesture towards the building’s creative heritage.

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The bet on Manchester reflects a wider conviction inside Grosvenor that the city’s office market remains one of the most resilient outside the capital, underpinned by a deep talent pool, inward business migration and a structural shortage of grade-A space. The landlord’s nearby Ship Canal House is, it says, close to full occupancy following a run of new lettings and renewals.

Fergus Evans, office portfolio director at Grosvenor Property UK, said the Hive scheme typified the group’s regional playbook of taking “a prime asset in a great location and repositioning it to meet the evolving needs of today’s occupiers”. He added: “Manchester continues to perform strongly for us, and our investment in The Hive reflects sustained demand for well-located, high-quality offices, particularly from the city’s growing digital and creative economy. Combining x+why’s experience in creating design-led, community-focused workspaces with our approach to active asset management, we are well placed to deliver a distinctive, flexible offer that responds to local demand.”

Rupert Dean, chief executive and co-founder of x+why, said the operator was “delighted to be partnering with Grosvenor again to bring The Hive into its next chapter”. He added: “The Northern Quarter is one of the most exciting and entrepreneurial parts of the UK, and The Hive will reflect that energy, offering a workspace that is not only functional, but inspiring and socially driven.”

For SMEs and scale-ups in Manchester’s digital and creative cluster, the very occupiers Grosvenor and x+why are courting, the arrival of a higher-end, hospitality-led flex product on Lever Street is likely to sharpen competition with established players such as WeWork, Bruntwood and Department, and could nudge headline rents in the Northern Quarter higher when the doors open next autumn.

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Jamie Young

Jamie Young

Jamie is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, bringing over a decade of experience in UK SME business reporting.
Jamie holds a degree in Business Administration and regularly participates in industry conferences and workshops.

When not reporting on the latest business developments, Jamie is passionate about mentoring up-and-coming journalists and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders.

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Amazon Q1: $200B In FY26 CapEx For A $15B Run-Rate Story

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Amazon Q1: $200B In FY26 CapEx For A $15B Run-Rate Story

Amazon Q1: $200B In FY26 CapEx For A $15B Run-Rate Story

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TFI International Inc. (TFII:CA) Shareholder/Analyst Call Transcript

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OneWater Marine Inc. (ONEW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Operator

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for standing by, and welcome to TFI International’s 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. [Operator Instructions] I’d like to remind everyone that this call is being recorded on Monday, April 27, 2026. I would now like to turn over the call to Mr. Alain Bedard, Chairman of the Board, the President and Chief Executive Officer of TFI International. Please go ahead, sir.

Alain Bedard
President, CEO & Chairman

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Well, thank you, and good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the 2026 Annual Meeting of the shareholders of TFI International. Participation at this meeting by myself, the scrutineers and certain proxyholders is being done remotely. So we are making this meeting available by phone. We have, therefore, asked all shareholders to vote by proxy prior to the meeting, which many of you have done and we thank you for doing so. At the conclusion of the official business shareholders will be able to ask questions by following the instruction from the operator.

So I will act as Chairman of the meeting. And with the consent of the meeting, I’ll ask Josiane Langlois, who is President of TFI’s Head Office in Montreal to act as Secretary. Also, with the consent of the meeting, I’ll now ask Steve Gilbert and [ Vlad Tilibassa ], our Computershare Trust Company of Canada to act as scrutineers for the meeting, tabulate the number of shareholders and the number of shares represented at this meeting in person or by proxy and report to me as Chairman of the meeting. There are several routine matters to

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Chocolate recall over hidden allergen risk hits nationwide sales

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Chocolate recall over hidden allergen risk hits nationwide sales

A gourmet chocolate maker is recalling select bonbon collections sold nationwide after a labeling error failed to disclose the presence of walnuts, posing a potentially life-threatening risk to some consumers.

French Broad Chocolates PBC is recalling its Bette’s Bake Sale Bonbon Collection in six-piece, 12-piece and 24-piece boxes due to the potential presence of undeclared walnuts, according to a company announcement published by the Food and Drug Administration.

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The recall applies to products with batch numbers 260414 and 260417.

DOZENS OF ICE CREAM PRODUCTS RECALLED OVER UNDECLARED ALLERGENS POSING ‘LIFE-THREATENING’ RISK

“People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to walnuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products,” the company said.

bette's bake sale

Correct tasting notes insert for French Broad Chocolates’ Bette’s Bake Sale Bonbon Collection, as provided in the company’s recall notice posted by the FDA. (FDA)

The products were distributed between April 14, 2026, and April 20, 2026, and were sold in French Broad Chocolates retail stores in Asheville, North Carolina, and online to customers in multiple states.

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CANTALOUPES RECALLED NATIONWIDE OVER SALMONELLA FEARS — WHAT SHOPPERS NEED TO KNOW

bette's bake sale

Packaging for French Broad Chocolates’ Bette’s Bake Sale Bonbon Collection, which is subject to a recall due to undeclared walnuts. (FDA)

Affected products include Bette’s Bake Sale Bonbon Collection in six-piece (2.5 oz.), 12-piece (5 oz.) and 24-piece (10 oz.) boxes, with “best by” dates ranging from June 22, 2026, to June 30, 2026, depending on the batch.

According to the company, the issue stems from a labeling error in the tasting notes insert that failed to identify walnuts as a tree nut allergen. The Walnut Fudge bonbon, which contains walnuts, was incorrectly identified in the printed tasting notes and was switched with the Peach Cobbler bonbon in the guide.

GENERAC RECALLS PORTABLE GENERATORS SOLD AT COSTCO OVER FIRE RISK

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bette's bake sale

Incorrect tasting notes insert showing the labeling error that misidentified bonbons containing walnuts, according to the FDA-posted recall notice. (FDA)

The company said it was notified of the issue on April 20, 2026, by a team member. No illnesses have been reported to date, according to the company.

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Consumers with a tree nut allergy who purchased the products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund or discard them. Customers with questions can contact French Broad Chocolates customer service.

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US targets China’s shadow fleet to cut off Iran oil revenue, expert says

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US targets China's shadow fleet to cut off Iran oil revenue, expert says

The United States is ramping up pressure on Iran by targeting the economic lifelines that help keep its oil flowing, with a particular focus on China’s role in facilitating those exports.

Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang joined FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria” to discuss how Washington’s latest sanctions strategy is designed to disrupt the networks moving Iranian crude, including Chinese refineries and vessels tied to Tehran’s so-called “shadow fleet.”

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President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping

President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Those measures come as U.S. officials expand beyond traditional sanctions, warning foreign entities that continued business with Iran could jeopardize access to the American financial system. The approach reflects a broader shift toward what analysts describe as economic warfare, aimed at cutting off revenue streams that sustain Iran’s government.

“It’s important for the United States to start imposing secondary sanctions,” Chang said. “You should start, as the Treasury has done, with China because China is the main criminal here.”

Chang pointed to a recurring challenge in enforcing sanctions, noting that targeted entities often adapt quickly by shifting operations to avoid penalties.

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WHITE HOUSE ACCUSES CHINA OF ‘INDUSTRIAL-SCALE’ AI TECHNOLOGY THEFT WEEKS AHEAD OF TRUMP-XI SUMMIT

“We have seen in the past that when we impose sanctions on Chinese entities… it moves the sanctioned activity to non-sanctioned entities and starts all over,” he said. “This is sanctions whack-a-mole.”

To counter that, Chang argued, the U.S. must broaden its approach to include entire networks rather than individual actors.

“The important thing here is for the United States to sanction all refiners, for instance, all vessels. We do that, we really cut off the China support for Iran,” he said.

CHINA COULD TARGET US HOMELAND IF IRAN CONFLICT ESCALATES, EXPERT WARNS

The push comes ahead of anticipated high-level talks between U.S. and Chinese leaders, raising the stakes for how aggressively Washington enforces its sanctions.

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Musk’s OpenAI lawsuit goes to trial as jury selection begins in Oakland

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Elon Musk proposes federal checks for AI job losses, economists disagree

Elon Musk’s lawsuit claiming that OpenAI violated its mission as a nonprofit organization moves to trial on Monday as jury selection gets underway in a federal court in Oakland, California.

Musk was a co-founder of OpenAI in 2015, but left the artificial intelligence (AI) startup in 2018 after he was unable to persuade its other leaders to have OpenAI merge with Tesla or create a for-profit entity led by him to attract the investment needed to meet the company’s technological needs.

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Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI claims that the company violated its founding mission as a nonprofit to develop AI for the benefit of humanity by creating a for-profit entity in 2019.

Elon Musk at the World Economic Forum

Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI is heading to trial this week, as he seeks over $150 billion in damages as well as the removal of Sam Altman. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

His suit seeks the removal of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman, as well as more than $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft, which Musk has said he would provide to OpenAI’s nonprofit entity. Altman and Brockman were among OpenAI’s co-founders.

OpenAI is countering Musk’s claims by noting that the Tesla CEO pursued a merger with OpenAI and was involved with discussions about creating a for-profit entity for the company before his departure from its board of directors. They also view the suit as a tactic to boost his own AI startup, xAI, as a competitor to OpenAI.

OPENAI’S NONPROFIT PARENT COMPANY SECURES $100B EQUITY STAKE WHILE RETAINING CONTROL OF AI GIANT

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The company’s 2019 creation of a for-profit entity governed by OpenAI’s nonprofit arm allowed the company to raise money from investors to scale up its computing capacity to facilitate AI research, which helped spur the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
TSLA TESLA INC. 379.26 +2.96 +0.79%
MSFT MICROSOFT CORP. 424.62 +8.87 +2.13%

OpenAI restructured again last fall, transitioning into a public benefit corporation in which its nonprofit arm as well as its other investors, including Microsoft, hold stakes. The nonprofit arm has a 26% stake with additional warrants if OpenAI’s valuation hits certain targets.

Musk’s legal team arrived at its estimate of damages owed to him by OpenAI by multiplying its valuation and a portion of the nonprofit’s stake that could be attributed to his contributions, claiming that between 50% and 75% of the OpenAI nonprofit’s stake can be attributed to him.

“Never before has a corporation gone from tax-exempt charity to a $157 billion for-profit, market-paralyzing gorgon – and in just eight years. Never before has it happened, because doing so violates almost every principle of law governing economic activity,” Musk’s suit claims.

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ALTMAN CALLS MUSK’S SPACE DATA CENTER PLANS ‘RIDICULOUS’ FOR CURRENT AI COMPUTING NEEDS

Sam Altman at AI Action Summit in Paris

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has restructured the company to attract outside investment. (Nathan Laine/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Court documents show that Musk gave about $38 million of seed money to OpenAI between 2016 and 2020, mostly before he left the board.

Microsoft is also a defendant in the lawsuit and denies colluding with OpenAI, arguing that its partnership with OpenAI began after Musk’s departure.

OpenAI has insisted that Musk is motivated by revenge and competitive concerns, with the company writing on X that, “His lawsuit remains nothing more than a harassment campaign that’s driven by ego, jealousy and a desire to slow down a competitor.”

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Both Musk and Altman signaled their eagerness for the trial to proceed earlier this year.

JUDGE STRUGGLES TO SEAT JURY IN ELON MUSK INVESTOR TRIAL AMID ‘HATE’ FOR TECH BILLIONAIRE: REPORT

Elon Musk at Congress.

Musk launched xAI as a competitor to OpenAI following the release of ChatGPT. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

“Can’t wait to start the trial. The discovery and testimony will blow your mind,” Musk said in a January post on X.

Altman countered in a February post on the X platform that he is, “Really excited to get Elon under oath in a few months, Christmas in April!”

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The jury selection pool is about three times larger than a typical civil case due to concerns about possible difficulties in finding impartial jurors, given that Musk and Altman have become celebrities.

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The judge determined that the jury won’t decide the specific repercussions in the case, and will instead work in an “advisory” role to determine how much OpenAI would need to pay in disgorgement if it loses the case.

FOX Business’ Kelly Saberi and Reuters contributed to this report.

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Expect Lennox International To Underperform The Market Moving Forward (Downgrade) (LII)

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Expect Lennox International To Underperform The Market Moving Forward (Downgrade) (LII)

This article was written by

Daniel is an avid and active professional investor.
He runs Crude Value Insights, a value-oriented newsletter aimed at analyzing the cash flows and assessing the value of companies in the oil and gas space. His primary focus is on finding businesses that are trading at a significant discount to their intrinsic value by employing a combination of Benjamin Graham’s investment philosophy and a contrarian approach to the market and the securities therein. Learn more.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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Half of mid-market CEOs predict no growth, KPMG finds

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Half of mid-market CEOs predict no growth, KPMG finds

Almost half of Australia’s mid-market business leaders are forecasting no real growth for the remainder of the year but claim cutting red tape in the federal budget could turn their prospects around, KPMG finds.

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California billionaire tax collects more than enough signatures for November ballot

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California billionaire tax collects more than enough signatures for November ballot

After months of campaigning for a first-of-its-kind retroactive wealth tax in California, the union-led effort is now taking its next step.

The Service Employees International Union–United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) said it has collected more than 1.55 million signatures, according to a press release, nearly double the 875,000-signature requirement — to put a one-time tax on billionaire assets on the California ballot.

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The California Billionaire Tax Act would target the net worth of roughly 200 residents and would impose a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of California residents with assets exceeding $1 billion. The tax would be due in 2027, and taxpayers could spread payments over five years, with interest, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

If the measure is approved by voters in November, anyone who was a California resident on Jan. 1, 2026, would owe the tax, according to the proposal. In practical terms, a resident with $20 billion in net worth on that date would owe a one-time tax of $1 billion, payable over five years.

THE $1,600 LETTUCE: CALIFORNIA GROWERS WARN OF ‘MASTER PLAN’ STRANGLING FAMILY FARMS

Supporters argue the tax is a direct response to “cuts to Medicaid and other federal health insurance programs by the Trump administration last year.”

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Protesters hold signs in support of billionaire tax

Attendees cheer during the speech of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., during the campaign kickoff for the California Billionaire Tax Act in Los Angeles, Feb. 18, 2026. (Getty Images)

“Most Californians and most billionaires recognize how reasonable and necessary this proposal is — both to keep emergency rooms open and to save California businesses from closing,” SEIU-UHW chief of staff Suzanne Jimenez said in a press release.

“A very small group of the most controversial billionaires on the planet tried to stop Californians from being able to save their local emergency rooms and hospitals — but our current signature tally proves frontline healthcare workers will prevail in bringing this commonsense proposal to voters,” she continued. “When our growing coalition files these signatures, David will have won the first round against Goliath, but healthcare workers and our allies won’t quit until we fully protect our patients from the looming healthcare disaster that will be caused by $100 billion in cuts to California healthcare.”

The SEIU-UHW did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Opponents of the measure have warned the tax could kill an estimated 108,000 high-paying jobs over the next 20 years, The New York Times reported Sunday. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom even acknowledged that the state’s proposed wealth tax is bad economics, previously saying he feels vindicated in opposing the proposal after reports showed some of California’s wealthiest residents moving money and businesses out of the state, warning the measure would damage the economy and drive away investment.

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While the Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts a temporary surge in cash, it warned of an “ongoing decrease in state income tax revenues of hundreds of millions of dollars or more annually” as billionaires flee the state in response.

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Some of those public figures who moved their residencies or businesses out of California before the Jan. 1 retroactive tax deadline include Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Steven Spielberg, Uber’s Travis Kalanick and car loan magnate Don Hankey.

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Tamilnad Mercantile Bank profit jumps 28% on strong growth

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Tamilnad Mercantile Bank profit jumps 28% on strong growth
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank reported a 28% jump in fourth quarter net profit at Rs 374 crore as compared with Rs 292 crore in the year ago period, backed by the highest ever business expansion in the past 10 years, the bank management said.

The bank’s operating profit stood at Rs 522 crore, 29% higher than last time’s Rs 404 crore on 16% higher total income at Rs 1792 crore against Rs 1542 crore.

Its net interest margin for the quarter rose to 4.18% from 3.91% seen in the year-ago quarter.

The net profit for FY26 stood at Rs 1338 crore as compared with Rs 1183 crore in FY25. The bank board proposed a final dividend of Rs 12.50 per equity share of the face value Rs 10 each, which is 125% dividend for FY26.

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Managing director Salee S Nair said that the bank’s business growth in both the assets and liability sides has been the highest in the past 10 years


Its advances grew 20.3% year-on-year to Rs 53,379 crore white deposits rose 14.9% to Rs 61,712 crore. The lender’s asset quality improved with gross non-performing assets ratio declining to 0.73% at the end of March from 1.25% a year prior.

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Kayne Anderson president Baker buys $339,250 in KYN stock

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Kayne Anderson president Baker buys $339,250 in KYN stock

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