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HSBC Holdings Plc is disbanding a team of staffers that was focused on identifying and managing geopolitical risk, even as the possibility of such threats has ratcheted up since US President Donald Trump returned to power.

The move will impact fewer than 10 roles across Asia, Europe and other regions, according to people familiar with the matter. Some of those staffers have been given the opportunity to apply for other jobs within the lender, they said, asking not to be identified discussing personnel information.

The London-headquartered firm is the world’s largest trade bank and an anchor of commerce between the Asia Pacific region and the rest of the world. As the largest non-US clearer of dollars, it has become highly sensitive to the political jostling between Washington and Beijing, who have engaged in a tit-for-tat trade war this year prior to a truce that has appeared to stabilise ties for the moment.

While rival media companies are unloading assets and cutting costs, Netflix Inc. continues to thrive. The owner of the world’s most popular paid streaming service on Thursday reported second-quarter results that exceeded investor expectations in every major metric, saying revenue grew to $11.1 billion and earnings jumped to $7.19 a share. The company also raised its forecast for full-year sales and profit margins.

The second quarter is historically slow for Netflix, which typically adds more customers at the beginning and end of the year. But the company released a steady slate of popular shows, including two of the most-watched titles of the year — the third season of Ginny & Georgia and the final season of Squid Game. The company also benefited from a weaker dollar. More than two-thirds of its customers live outside the US.

Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc agreed to sell most of its homecare business to private equity firm Advent International for an enterprise value of up to $4.8 billion as the UK consumer goods company focuses on faster-growing operations.

Reckitt said it will retain a 30% stake in the business, whose brands include Air Wick air fresheners and Cillit Bang cleaners. The enterprise value includes up to about $1.3 billion of contingent and deferred consideration, the company said Friday.

Shares of Reckitt rose as much as 2.3% in early London trading before paring back some of the gains. The stock is up nearly 14% in the past 12 months through Thursday’s close.

Hess Corp. won its arbitration battle with Exxon Mobil Corp., clearing the way for it to be bought by Chevron Corp. more than 20 months after the $53 billion deal was announced.

The decision is a major victory for Chevron, ending a period of strategic limbo that hurt its stock and prompted questions over the quality of the company’s due diligence when it agreed to buy Hess in October 2023. Chevron Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth said he would walk away from the deal if they lost the case.

A representative for Exxon confirmed Hess and Chevron prevailed, and the company said in a statement that “we disagree with the ICC panel’s interpretation but respect the arbitration and dispute resolution process.”

Chevron and Hess didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hess shares surged as much as 8.8% before the start of regular trading. Chevron rose 3.9%.

Investors are piling into stocks that offer high dividends, drawn by the lure of chunky payouts in the often-underperforming group ahead of expected interest-rate cuts later this year.

Flows into the five largest exchange-traded funds focused on dividend payers hit $17.5 billion last week, a nearly 10-fold increase from the start of 2024, according to data from Purpose Investments Inc.

Part of the funds’ popularity rests on expectations that the Federal Reserve is getting closer to cutting interest rates, pushing income-seeking investors to look for yield opportunities outside of bonds.

The group has also lagged broader markets in recent years, magnifying the per-share dividend payout companies offer: This week, there were 45 members of the S&P 500 Index offering dividend yields in excess of the 4.33% rate on three-month Treasuries, compared to 14 members beating that yield last year.

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