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 [...]
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. [...]