BTS is set to make a triumphant return to the global stage with the *BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’*, a massive 82-date stadium tour spanning 34 cities across 23 countries from April 2026 through March 2027. The tour, supporting the group’s fifth full-length album *Arirang* dropping March 20, 2026, marks their first large-scale live performances in nearly four years following the completion of mandatory military service.

The tour launches with landmark concerts at Goyang Stadium in South Korea on April 9, 10 and 11, 2026, followed by shows in Tokyo, Japan. These opening dates feature a 360-degree in-the-round stage production, promising an immersive experience for fans. Ticket sales for initial legs sold out rapidly, with North American and European phases snapped up within hours during presales and general onsales in January 2026.

BIGHIT MUSIC announced the tour in January 2026, revealing initial dates and venues. North American stops include multi-night runs at stadiums such as Raymond James Stadium in Tampa (April 25-26), Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (May 23-28), MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford (August 1-2), Gillette Stadium in Foxborough (August 5-6), SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (September 5-6) and more. European dates feature venues in Madrid, Brussels, London, Munich and Saint-Denis, France.

The tour extends into Latin America (Bogotá, Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires, São Paulo), Oceania (Melbourne, Sydney) and additional Asian cities (Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Manila) later in 2026 and early 2027. It sets a new record for the most dates by a K-pop act on a single world tour.

To celebrate the comeback, HYBE and Trafalgar Releasing partnered for global live cinema broadcasts of select shows. Fans unable to secure in-person tickets can experience full-length concerts from Goyang (April 11) and Tokyo (April 18) in theaters worldwide. Screenings begin in April 2026 across thousands of locations in over 80 territories. Tickets went on sale Feb. 25, 2026, via platforms like Fandango, Cinemark and the official BTS live viewing site.

A teaser trailer titled “Mic Drop” offers a first glimpse of the 360-degree stage setup and high-energy production. Additional live viewings are planned later in the year.

The tour ties into the release of *Arirang*, BTS’s first group album since their hiatus. Pre-orders opened Jan. 16, 2026, with the album dropping March 20 at 1 p.m. KST. The title track and themes reflect introspection, longing and universal emotions, defining BTS on their terms.

A free comeback concert, *BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | Arirang*, is scheduled for March 21, 2026, at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. The one-hour event sold out instantly on Feb. 23, 2026, with over 100,000 fans crashing the booking system. Authorities expect around 260,000 attendees in the area, plus nearby fan events for 30,000. The concert streams live on Netflix to 190 countries, chronicling the group’s first full-team live show in years.

The album release coincides with Netflix’s *BTS the Comeback Live | Arirang* documentary, streaming March 21, 2026, at 7 a.m. ET.

All seven members — RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook — completed military service by mid-2025, enabling the full-group reunion. The tour represents their “fresh start” after individual projects and enlistment.

Fan excitement remains high, with ARMY praising the ambitious scale and innovative staging. Speculation on setlists includes classics like “Mic Drop,” new tracks from *Arirang* and surprises. Billboard and other outlets shared dream setlists anticipating hits and deep cuts.

As preparations intensify, BTS continues engaging fans through Weverse updates and trailers. The *ARIRANG* tour underscores their enduring global impact, blending K-pop innovation with massive production.

With sold-out stadiums, cinema events and a new era of music, 2026 promises to be a landmark year for BTS and ARMY worldwide.

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) shares traded modestly higher Thursday, closing around $126 on Feb. 26, 2026, as the retail giant stabilized following a mixed reaction to its fiscal fourth-quarter results and forward guidance.

The stock opened near $126.60, fluctuated between a low of approximately $125.40 and a high near $127.40 in recent sessions, with volume averaging 15-20 million shares. After dipping to $124.87 on Feb. 19 following earnings, shares rebounded modestly, reflecting investor digestion of strong holiday performance offset by tempered expectations for the year ahead. Walmart’s market capitalization remains above $1 trillion, solidifying its status as one of the world’s most valuable companies.

The latest momentum stems from Walmart’s Feb. 19 report for the quarter ended Jan. 31, 2026 — the holiday period. Revenue reached $190.7 billion, up 5.6% year-over-year and beating estimates of $190.4 billion to $190.43 billion. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.74, edging past the $0.73 consensus. Operating income grew 10.8%, outpacing sales, while global e-commerce surged 24%, fueled by store-fulfilled pickup, delivery and marketplace expansion.

Full-year fiscal 2026 figures showed revenue of $713.2 billion, up 4.7%, with adjusted operating income advancing faster than sales. Global advertising business grew 46% to nearly $6.4 billion, including contributions from VIZIO. Membership fee revenue rose 15.1%, and Walmart U.S. comparable sales increased 4.6% excluding fuel.

The company announced a new $30 billion share repurchase authorization in February, underscoring confidence in capital returns. It also raised its annual dividend 5% to $0.99 per share, maintaining a reliable yield around 0.8% and extending a 52-year streak of increases.

Guidance for fiscal 2027 tempered enthusiasm. Walmart projects net sales growth of 3.5% to 4.5% (constant currency), adjusted operating income up 6% to 8%, and adjusted EPS of $2.75 to $2.85. Analysts had modeled higher figures — around 4.8% sales growth and $2.96 to $2.98 EPS — leading to initial selling pressure. Shares fell about 1.4% on earnings day but recovered as some viewed the outlook as conservative or “sandbagged.”

Analysts largely maintain optimism. Consensus leans toward “Buy” or “Moderate Buy,” with recent upgrades including Tigress Financial raising its target to $150 from $135 on Feb. 25, citing strong Q4 momentum. Truist Securities lifted its target to $139 from $127, while Bernstein moved to $134 from $129, both reiterating positive ratings. Average 12-month targets cluster around $131 to $134, implying modest upside from current levels, though highs reach $150 and some conservative estimates sit lower.

Walmart’s edge over peers persists. The stock has outperformed major retailers like Costco (down year-to-date in some comparisons), Amazon and Target amid economic uncertainty. E-commerce acceleration, advertising growth and Sam’s Club strength provide diversification beyond traditional grocery and general merchandise.

Challenges include consumer caution, food inflation mitigation and pharmacy headwinds from legislation. Yet Walmart’s scale, supply chain investments and AI-driven personalization position it well. Executives highlighted digital momentum as a key driver, with e-commerce profitability improving.

The next earnings report arrives in May 2026 for the first quarter of fiscal 2027. Analysts project EPS around $0.63 to $0.65 on 3.5% to 4.5% sales growth. Focus will remain on holiday carryover, consumer spending trends and execution on automation, marketplace and advertising.

As Walmart navigates a competitive retail landscape, its defensive qualities — everyday essentials demand, dividend reliability and buyback program — appeal to investors seeking stability. While guidance disappointed some, the underlying business health and strategic investments suggest resilience ahead.

With shares near recent highs and trading at a premium valuation, Walmart continues to draw attention as a retail bellwether. Whether it sustains momentum depends on delivering on guidance and capitalizing on digital tailwinds in an evolving consumer environment.

The firm has pointed to having generated a record amount of power this year

Power giant Drax has reported a steep drop in operating profits, just days after job losses at its Yorkshire base were revealed.

New full year results for the FTSE250 firm show operating profit fell from £850m to £241m in 2025, as pre-tax profit slumped from £753m to £190m. Drax said the numbers reflected non-cash impairments of £378m, including £337m related to having paused setting up of pellet production at Longview in the US, lower expected margins, a “constrained” Canadian fibre market and future demand from the Selby power station.

There was also a £48m impairment attached to bioenergy with carbon capture (BECCS) and storage plans at the site which have not come to fruition but which Drax said it could develop in the long term. That comes after Drax paused its BECCS plans in March 2023.

Despite the fall, the firm said it had generated record levels of renewable power including about 6% of the UK’s power requirement and 11% of UK renewables overall. The Selby plant is the largest power station in the UK and the firm has talked of developing options for a 1.2GW-scale data centre there.

The results come as Drax is targeting cost savings of more than £150m per year from 2027, compared to its 2024 costs. Last month it announced a restructure which will bring 350 job cuts across its UK and US operations.

Drax Group CEO, Will Gardiner, said: “In 2025, we produced more renewable power than ever before, delivering energy security for the UK. Our colleagues and supply chain partners work around the clock to help keep the lights on for millions of the UK’s households and businesses, no matter the weather.

“The signing of the new low carbon dispatchable contract for difference is an inflection point for the group. It provides the foundation for us to keep supporting the UK with the flexible, renewable power it needs for security of supply this decade and beyond. The energy transition and growth in AI are creating opportunities for us to invest and grow our business further in line with the country’s energy needs.

“We are making good progress on this with our initial investments in battery energy storage systems (BESS), which we see as an attractive market. We will continue to explore options to invest in flexible and renewable energy, creating value for stakeholders and attractive returns for shareholders in line with our capital allocation policy.”

The £20bn NEPRO Innovation is a platform through which public sector organisations can procure goods, services, works and technology

More than 30 jobs are to be created with the launch of a new service to connect North East firms with public sector contracts.

The North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) says it will open a new office to serve its £20bn NEPRO Innovation solution. The project, which is being delivered in partnership with London-based counterpart Constellia, promises a “more flexible, transparent and efficient route to market for public sector organisations and suppliers alike”.

Based out of offices in The Catalyst building on the Newcastle Helix site, NEPRO Innovation is designed by the NEPO team. It is intended to help navigate multiple frameworks for different categories, including everything from IT infrastructure to consultancy and construction projects.

It will be delivered through NEPO’s neutral vendor model and will see Constellia build on and adapt the approach it has used across 300 organisations, managing more than £400m spending. Under the arrangement, Constellia works with organisations to source the most suitable and appropriate supplier.

It manages a marketplace of more than 4,000 suppliers, many of which are SMEs. The model can be adapted to different needs and is said open doors for small businesses, giving procurement teams additional capacity when they need it.

Steven Sinclair, procurement and commercial director at NEPO, said: “NEPRO Innovation is the latest addition to the NEPRO portfolio, representing a step change in how the public sector delivers outcomes through a single, compliant route to market. Enabled by the Procurement Act 2023 and designed by procurement professionals, it allows delivery of complex projects that may require cross-category expertise, commercial flexibility and robust contract management.

“It is particularly suited to authorities seeking innovative, outcome-focused solutions while maintaining the compliance, assurance and governance standards expected within the public sector. NEPRO Innovation is accessible to the public sector through our free NEPO Associate Membership, offering a straightforward, low-risk route to high-quality procurement outcomes.”

Rob Levene, chair of Constellia, added: “We’re delighted to partner with NEPO on their second neutral vendor framework. NEPO’s trusted reputation and public sector expertise complement Constellia’s established neutral vendor approach. We’ll be delivering NEPRO Innovation using the same proven methodology that has worked successfully across our existing client base.

“The national availability of this framework means public sector organisations across the UK can benefit from this combined strength.”

John McCabe, chief executive, North East Chamber of Commerce, added: “Unlocking the North East economy means making sure businesses of all sizes can access opportunity and compete on a level playing field. Too often, small and medium-sized enterprises find public procurement complex and difficult to navigate.

“NEPO’s more open and flexible approach through NEPRO Innovation is a positive step towards widening participation, strengthening local supply chains and ensuring more public sector investment supports North East growth. It is encouraging to see organisations from our region leading innovation that can deliver lasting economic impact.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is demanding the Trump administration refund an estimated $13.5 billion in tariff payments to New Yorkers after the Supreme Court struck down a key legal basis for President Donald Trump’s import tariffs.

Citing estimates from the Yale Budget Lab, Hochul said the average New York household has paid roughly $1,751 in additional costs since the tariffs were enacted last year — money she argues should now be returned.

“These senseless and illegal tariffs were just a tax on New York consumers, small businesses and farmers — and that’s why I’m demanding a full refund,” Hochul said Tuesday. “I’ll never stop fighting for New Yorkers, and that means staying focused on putting more money back in your pockets — not ripping it away.”

In a 6-3 decision issued Feb. 20, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad tariffs was unlawful, finding that it “does not authorize the President to impose tariffs.”

WILL REFUNDS BE ISSUED AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING ON TRUMP TARIFFS?

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called for tariff refunds after the Supreme Court struck down portions of former President Donald Trump’s trade policy. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The majority opinion, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, did not address whether refunds should be issued.

Hochul joins other Democratic governors, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, in calling for tariff refunds following the ruling.

Several companies have also moved to recover costs. FedEx, the global shipping and logistics company, sued the administration seeking a full refund of duties assessed under Trump’s order. The company said it incurred additional expenses to expedite shipments through customs and is seeking repayment with interest, as well as compensation for financial harm.

The White House did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.

FEDEX SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR FULL TARIFF REFUNDS AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING ON IEEPA

President Donald Trump said he would explore alternative legal avenues to maintain tariffs following the Supreme Court’s ruling. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Trump declined to say during a news conference last week whether the administration would provide refunds.

“I guess it has to get litigated for the next two years. So they write this terrible defective decision, totally defective. It’s almost like not written by smart people. And what do they do, they don’t even talk about that,” Trump said.

After the ruling, Trump announced a 10% global tariff and said he would look into alternative legal avenues to keep them in place. He later raised the tariff to 15%.

Hochul also pointed to a $30 million tariff relief proposal she introduced last month aimed at assisting New York farmers and small businesses impacted by higher costs.

She said over 80% of agrochemical imports and 70% of farm machinery imports are subject to tariffs of at least 10%, making it difficult for farmers to avoid higher prices due to limited alternative suppliers.

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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president to impose broad tariffs. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Farmers across the state are facing increased expenses for fertilizer and equipment, with some reporting cost increases of up to $20,000 annually, Hochul said. Milk exports have fallen 7%, she added.

Despite the Court’s ruling, Hochul said the “damage has already been done” for many farmers.

FOX Business’ Eric Revell and Bonny Chu contributed to this report.