India’s South Western Railway (SWR) loaded 4.69 million tonnes of freight in July 2026, up 11.7% year on year and a record for the month. Iron ore and steel loadings rose 22.4% and 20.6%, respectively, while total freight handled in the first four months of FY 2026-27 through July increased 5.7% to 17.1 million tonnes. SWR reported gross revenue of Rs 793.3 crore for July, up 5.2%, with freight and passenger earnings both growing by around 6%.

Nigeria’s Dangote refinery plans to launch an IPO in October, aiming to raise about $5 billion, with its primary listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Kenya’s capital markets could help place up to $500 million of the offering. If completed, the deal would be Africa’s largest market listing and could boost liquidity in Nigeria’s equities market and draw more interest to regional capital markets.

Russia’s government said bitcoin mining will be fully banned in Moscow and surrounding areas starting Aug. 15, 2026, with the restriction running through 2032. The move is tied to pressure on the local power system, with mining in Moscow alone consuming about 1 gigawatt of electricity. Hashrate Index data put Russia at roughly 16.9% of global bitcoin hashrate, while global hashrate had already fallen for two consecutive quarters by Q2 2026, down about 12% in total. The regional enforcement is set to disrupt operations for BTC miners in Russia and adds to the broader contraction in global hashrate.

Rudra Gas Enterprise said it completed the acquisition of a 71% equity stake in DS Pipeline Projects Limited on August 4, 2026. The total consideration was 18.38 crore Indian rupees, and the deal gives it control of 87,53,730 fully paid-up equity shares. The company disclosed the transaction to the BSE in line with SEBI requirements. The purchase is aimed at expanding its presence in midstream natural gas infrastructure.

Wars involving Iran and Ukraine have intensified pressure on global oil supplies after Russian refineries were bombed and exports through the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea were disrupted. The global refining deficit has reached 6.5 million barrels a day, including damaged capacity and products that cannot leave key waterways. More than 1.2 million barrels per day of refining capacity in the Middle East is offline due to physical damage. Saudi Arabia has shifted exports to routes via the Suez Canal and Egypt’s SUMED pipeline for 5 million barrels a day, while Brazil’s Petrobras reported a 14% year-on-year output increase and is running refineries at full capacity, adding to upward pressure on international crude prices.

Chavda Infra Ltd said it has proposed a bonus share issue and a dividend for shareholders, subject to statutory, regulatory and shareholder approvals. Separately, the company received a Rs 89.45 crore Letter of Acceptance from ADI Shantigram Abode LLP to build the core and shell of a high-rise residential tower at Adani Shantigram Township in Ahmedabad. The project is scheduled to be completed over the next 24 months.

Jackson Financial reported retail annuity sales of $5.9 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 34% from a year earlier. Registered index-linked annuity (RILA) sales rose 69% year over year to a record $2.3 billion. Fixed and fixed index annuity sales climbed 73% to $812 million, while variable annuity sales increased 8% to $2.7 billion. Industry group LIMRA has projected total U.S. RILA sales will exceed $85 billion in 2026.

BellRing Brands cut its full-year 2024 adjusted EBITDA forecast to $275–$295m from $315–$335m, citing inventory-related issues. The company said the change reflects $28m in unfavourable inventory impacts, including an $11.3m charge tied to a third-party ingredient that failed its quality requirements and a $10m charge for excess shake-bottle inventory. Net sales for the quarter ended in June rose 4% to $570.4m, but profitability was weighed down by the charges.