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ANZ announced it will increase its current on-market share buy-back, commenced on 15 January 2018, by a further $1.5 billion to a total of $3 billion. This follows an announcement on 8 May 2018 that ANZ had received around $1 billion of reinsurance proceeds as part of the first tranche of the sale of its Australian Life Insurance Business and was considering capital management options. ANZ Chief Financial Officer Michelle Jablko said: "The progress of our transformation means we are able to return this surplus capital to shareholders while retaining appropriate flexibility to invest in our business and maintain unquestionably strong capital levels." ANZ's reported Level 2 Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio as at 31 March 2018 was 11.04%. This would increase by ~56bp on a pro forma basis after adjusting for completion of the buy-back, receipt of the reinsurance proceeds and completion of announced asset sales.

Airbus said it has published a risk assessment outlining the urgent risks to its business arising from the UK exiting the European Union without a withdrawal agreement. It states that the UK exiting the EU next year without a deal - therefore leaving both the single market and customs union immediately and without any agreed transition - would lead to severe disruption and interruption of UK production. This scenario would force Airbus to reconsider its investments in the UK, and its long-term footprint in the country, severely undermining UK efforts to keep a competitive and innovative aerospace industry, developing high value jobs and competences. On the future trade relationship between the UK and EU, the Memorandum makes clear that while an orderly Brexit with a withdrawal agreement is preferable to a no-deal scenario, the current planned transition, which ends in December 2020, is too short for the EU and UK Governments to agree the outstanding issues, and too short for Airbus to implement the required changes with its extensive supply chain. In this scenario, Airbus would carefully monitor any new investments in the UK and refrain from extending the UK suppliers/partners base.