Co-op front runner in race to buy Sainsbury’s Bank’s £650m loan book, according to reports February 21, 2023 The Co-operative Bank has tabled an offer for Sainsbury’s Bank’s £650m loan portfolio being, according to reports by Sky News. The Co-operative bank is among a number of parties understood to have tabled a bid for the supermarket bank’s loan book . An insider cited by Sky News said the Co-operative “appeared to be the [...]
Let the payouts commence: As HSBC profits top £4.3bn, banking giant looks likely to appease Asian shareholders February 21, 2023 HSBC promised large payouts in 2023 to appease activist shareholder Ping An after comfortably beating market expectations in the final quarter of 2022. HSBC’s pretax profit for the final quarter nearly doubled to $5.2bn (4.3bn), beating market expectations of $5bn. This brought the bank’s total profit for 2022 to $17.5bn, seven per cent lower than [...]
London leads the way: SME confidence rebounds to nine month high after 50,000 firms folded last year February 21, 2023 Confidence among small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) continues to grow across the UK, with London leading the way, new data out today showed. 60 per cent of respondents in the capital expect their revenue to grow this quarter while they intend to make 12 new hires this quarter, according to Barclays SME Barometer. London is [...]
Tesco ‘considering sale’ of Tesco Bank, according to reports February 20, 2023 Tesco is considering selling Tesco Bank, according to Sky News which has reported that the supermarket giant has started a review process for its banking arm. The review is at a very early stage, according to insiders, and may not lead to a formal sale process. A partial sale or joint venture may also be [...]
Concerns raised with EU’s new clearing regulations as it aims to lure market to bloc February 20, 2023 Experts have warned that financial institutions operating in the clearing market are likely to face increasing costs as the EU brings in new regulations to grow its domestic clearing market. Under proposals announced in December, central counterparty clearing houses (CCPs) – an institution that helps manage the risks that might arise if one counterparty defaults [...]
Lloyds Bank profit poised to be held back by setting aside millions to cope with cost of living defaults February 20, 2023 A build up of reserves to cope with an expected jump in loan defaults and a slow down in the mortgage market is expected to have held back profits at Lloyds Bank last year, results out on Wednesday could show. Britain’s biggest mortgage lender is poised to be the latest bank to underwhelm markets in [...]
Could financial services dealmaking rebound this year? EY thinks it might February 20, 2023 The value of dealmaking among UK financial services firms could rebound this year after a sharp slump in 2022, as volatile valuations settle and private equity firms swoop back into the market, EY has predicted. The predictions come after the total value of deals in the UK fell 40 per cent last year to £15.2bn [...]
Cost of living: Brits switch to discount brands while 1.7m have cancelled subscriptions like Netflix, reveals Lloyds February 17, 2023 A fifth of people polled by Lloyds Bank have switched to discount brands in a bid to save cash to cope with the cost of living, while 1.7m have cancelled subscriptions like Netflix, it has been revealed. The shift to discount shopping has been significant during the cost of living crisis, with an 18 per [...]
From Harry Styles to house prices: The top ten most read stories on City A.M. this week February 17, 2023 From Harry Styles’ Grammy outfit to more recession speculation, to here are the top ten most read stories by readers of City.A.M. this week, ending Friday 17 February. One: Harry Styles’ Grammys outfit The former One Direction band member’s choice of outfits came under the spotlight as he made appearances at both the Grammys and [...]
NatWest shares dive six per cent as £1.3bn profits fail expectations and fear grows of banking ‘slump’ February 17, 2023 NatWest became the second FTSE 100 bank to take a beating as its forward guidance disappointed investors and analysts alike. NatWest’s share price was trading more than six per cent lower this afternoon, despite delivering its biggest profits since the financial crisis in 2022, as it forecast a difficult 2023. “The outlook for this year [...]