Brief: Sunday, 18 October 2026

Recent quarterly results lead this brief: TSMC reported third-quarter profit up 68.7%, Charles Schwab took in a record $190.4bn of new client assets, and Alcoa's profit more than doubled to $483m. Also in this issue, Prologis reported higher core FFO and Schneider Electric posted record quarterly sales.

Top story

TSMC (TSM): Q3 profit jumps 69% to NT$763 billion as 2nm chips start to ramp

TSMC, the Taiwanese company that makes most of the world's most advanced computer chips for other firms, reported third-quarter profit of NT$763.06…

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• Charles Schwab (SCHW): Record $190.4bn of new client assets and 17% sales growth. Charles Schwab, the US brokerage and bank, reported third-quarter sales of $7.17bn, up 17% from a year earlier, and adjusted profit per share of…
• Alcoa (AA): Profit more than doubles to $483m as aluminium prices jump. Alcoa, the US producer of aluminium and the alumina it is made from, reported third-quarter profit of $483m, up from $232m a year earlier, on sales…
• Prologis (PLD): Warehouse rents jump and core FFO rises 7.4%, but net earnings forecast is cut. Prologis, the US company that owns and manages warehouses for retailers, manufacturers and delivery firms, reported third-quarter core FFO (its main…
• Schneider Electric (SU.PA): Q3 sales up 16.9% organically to a record €11.46bn as data centres lift 2026 targets. Schneider Electric, the French maker of electrical equipment for buildings, factories and data centres, reported third-quarter sales of €11.46bn on…

UK Personal Finance tip: Challenging your Council Tax band: two routes

GOV.UK describes two routes for challenging a Council Tax band: a proposal, where there is a legal right to challenge, and a band review for people who have paid for more than 6 months. A band can go up, down or stay the same, and payments must continue while a challenge is reviewed.

Read the full guide: Challenging your Council Tax band: who can, how, and what happens next