Telus cut its quarterly dividend 55% in July to $0.19 per share and reset its payout target to 45%–60% of free cash flow, scrapping its dividend-growth model. The company says the change could save about $2.7 billion through 2028, with much of it earmarked for debt reduction. In the second quarter, mobile network revenue rose 1% to $1.7 billion and free cash flow increased 2% to $545 million. At a share price of $12.20, the new $0.75 annualized dividend implies a yield of about 6.1%.

U.S. natural gas futures rose 2.6% on Wednesday, with the front-month contract settling at $3.041 per million British thermal units, an 11-week high. Forecasts for cooler temperatures lifted expectations for heating demand. The market also reflected a drop in daily output this month and higher flows to liquefied natural gas export plants. The contract closed above the $3 per mmBtu level for the first time since early July.

U.S. stocks ended lower as Alphabet and Amazon weighed on the major indexes, while Treasury yields climbed and oil prices jumped nearly 4%. Energy shares rallied after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke at the United Nations, adding to geopolitical jitters, but the broader market remained under pressure. Separately, unexpectedly strong U.S. business activity pushed bond yields higher and fueled speculation the Federal Reserve could raise rates again. The S&P 500 finished less than 2% below its record close on August 13.

McDonald’s has rolled out its NEXT growth strategy, planning to provide franchisees about $8.5 billion in support through 2036, including roughly $5 billion through 2030, to fund restaurant modernization, technology deployment and operational improvements. The company is targeting about 250 basis points of restaurant-level gross margin improvement, translating to about $100,000 in annual cash flow benefits for the average restaurant. It also expects unit expansion to contribute nearly 2.5% to systemwide sales growth in 2027, easing to about 2% by 2030.

Caesars Entertainment shareholders voted in Reno to approve a merger with Fertitta Gaming, with more than 133 million votes in favor and about 4 million against. The deal, first announced in May, calls for Fertitta to pay $5.7 billion and assume close to $12 billion of Caesars debt, valuing the transaction at about $17.6 billion. Under the terms, shareholders will receive $31 in cash for each share they own.

SES’s board has approved an interim dividend of EUR 0.25 per A share, or EUR 0.10 per B share, to be paid on Oct. 15, 2026. The company reiterated its commitment to shareholder returns with a total dividend intended to be at least EUR 0.50 for FY2026. It expects a final dividend of at least EUR 0.25 per A share, or EUR 0.10 per B share, to be paid in May 2027, subject to financial results and shareholder approval.

Sandisk announced a $15.5 billion share repurchase authorization that could retire up to 5.6% of shares outstanding. The company said its joint ventures with Kioxia delivered 27% annual bit growth and strong capital efficiency, and extended the partnership term through 2034. It also pointed to strong free cash flow as support for continued capital returns.

Disruptions to Black Sea shipping have pushed up global wheat prices, prompting Bangladeshi importers to book more than 200,000 tonnes of Indian wheat since India eased export restrictions. Bangladesh imports more than 7 million tonnes of wheat each year, with India previously supplying nearly 70% of its purchases and the Black Sea region accounting for about 40%. Sri Lankan importers have also bought about 60,000 tonnes of Indian wheat. Refined wheat flour prices in Dhaka have risen 17% over the past month.