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 [...]
Shadow banks: S&P warns higher borrowing costs risk contagion of ‘financial instability’ February 17, 2023 Risks to financial stability “could emerge from the shadows”, according to a report from S&P Global Ratings. The report found that higher interest rates may put pressure on the highly leveraged shadow banking sector. While traditional banks have limited exposure to shadow banks, the wider financial system could face “indirect” risks of contagion if large [...]
End of cash… and cards? Barclays says record 91 per cent of transactions were contactless last year February 17, 2023 Just over nine in 10 (91.2 per cent ) card transactions made last year where paying by contactless would have been an option did use this technology, according to data from Barclays. The bank said this is the highest proportion it has seen, with 85.6 per cent of eligible card transactions being contactless in 2021. [...]
NatWest quarter profits almost triple to £1.3bn as higher interest rates offset bad loan provision February 17, 2023 NatWest recorded bumper profits in the final quarter of last year as the boost from higher interest rates outweighed funds set aside to cope with bad loans. Profits at the bank increased to £1.3bn in the final quarter, in line with market expectations and doubling compared to last year. This brought yearly profits to £3.6bn, [...]
Small businesses risk running out of cash after post Brexit banking rules rollout February 16, 2023 New banking regulations could increase the cost of small business lending by around a third and “fundamentally change” the market as debate around the implementation of international banking rules in the UK intensifies. Regulators in the UK are scrutinising the latest round of Basel regulations, the global regulatory overhaul prompted by the financial crisis. Concerns [...]
‘Substantial reduction’ in bonuses at Deutsche Bank and Barclays as fallout from WhatsApp scandal continues February 16, 2023 Deutsche Bank and Barclays have both cut bonuses for senior staff that inappropriately used WhatsApp as the fallout from an industry-wide crackdown on the use of private messaging services continues. According to Bloomberg, employees at Deutsche Bank who were found to be in severe breach of policies will see a “substantial reduction” in their bonus. [...]
Standard Chartered announces $1bn buyback scheme and lifts guidance despite weak profit February 16, 2023 Standard Chartered announced a $1bn (£831m) buyback scheme and raised its guidance for the next couple of years despite its results failing to meet market expectations. Results for the bank, which has been subject to takeover speculation in recent months, were much weaker than expected. Profit in the final quarter of 2022 was significantly below [...]
Up and Atom: How the Durham-based digital bank is taking on the high street stalwarts February 16, 2023 Lending, according to Atom Bank boss Mark Mullen, is back in vogue. While it’s a view that might run counter to some of the political disquiet towards Britain’s big high street lenders, for Durham-based digital lender Atom, it’s hard to argue with. The firm has tempted in hordes of customers this year and is on [...]
Barclays shares slump to bottom of FTSE 100 as investors take fright at profit drop February 15, 2023 Barclays shares tanked nearly eight per cent today, sending them to the bottom London’s FTSE 100 index, driven by investors fretting over the bank announcing today weaker than expected profits. The firm’s profit in the three months to December last year fell eight per cent to £1.3bn despite a £800m revenue bump, taking the lender’s [...]