Bank of England could extend bank dividends suspension July 28, 2020 The Bank of England will weigh up whether its request that banks do not pay out dividends or buy back their own shares should be extended beyond the end of the year, it said today. It came as the European Central Bank (ECB) extended its recommendation that banks do not pay dividends until January 2021. [...]
Virgin Money reports dip in customer demand due to coronavirus July 28, 2020 Virgin Money has reported a dip in customer lending in the third quarter as demand for mortgages and personal loans fell due to the pandemic. However, the lender said it had not yet seen a spike in credit losses linked to coronavirus. The figures Virgin Money reported a 2.7 per cent drop in personal lending [...]
Deutsche Bank to end global business activities in coal mining by 2025 July 27, 2020 Deutsche Bank has revamped its approach to fossil fuels, saying it will end global business activities related to coal mining by 2025 at the latest. The new fossils fuel policy applies to financing as well as capital market transactions. The policy trails announcements made earlier this year in which the lender committed to new sustainability [...]
Natwest closes SME accounts after coronavirus loan applications July 27, 2020 Natwest has closed the accounts of some small business customers who applied for the government’s coronavirus loans to help them through the pandemic, leaving them unable to access their money. A number of customers contacted the Guardian to complain that their accounts had either been suspended or closed without any explanation after they put in [...]
Natwest looks at slashing costs by £3bn over the next five years July 26, 2020 Natwest will next week consider proposals to cut costs by £3bn over the next five years as it prepares for a wave of bad debts thanks to the coronavirus crisis. Top managers from the bank, which was renamed from RBS just this week, will look at plans that would see annual operating expenses cut from [...]
Goldman Sachs reaches $3.9bn settlement with Malaysia over 1MDB scandal July 24, 2020 Goldman Sachs has agreed to a $3.9bn settlement with the Malaysian government over the multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal. The deal includes a cash payment of $2.5bn and a guarantee by Goldman to pay at least $1.4bn in assets linked to 1MDB bonds, Malaysia’s finance ministry said. “This settlement represents assets that rightfully belong to the [...]
The City View: Imran Gulamhuseinwala on Britain’s open banking future July 23, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS Today Andy is joined by Imran Gulamhuseinwala, the Implementation Trustee of Open Banking Ltd and the man tasked by the Government with driving forward the UK’s adoption of this potentially revolutionary technology. They discuss the journey so far, the challenges along the way, and the burgeoning industry of third-party [...]
Barclays’ bailout talks peppered with sexist language, court hears July 23, 2020 Barclays bankers seeking credit crisis-era emergency funding used sexist and disparaging language when discussing the businesswoman whose firm led a £3.25bn investment in the bank in 2008, according to court documents. Stephen Jones, a former Barclays banker who resigned as CEO of British bank lobby group UK Finance in June over historic remarks about Amanda [...]
High standards will keep London competitive, incoming FCA chief says July 22, 2020 Maintaining high regulatory standards rather than having a “competitiveness” mandate is the best way to preserve the City of London’s status as a dynamic financial centre, the Financial Conduct Authority’s incoming chief said today. Britain will no longer have to comply with European Union rules after December when transition arrangements that followed Brexit in January [...]
Exclusive: MPs ask banks for clarity on state aid rules and coronavirus loans July 22, 2020 A group of MPs and Lords has written to lenders to try to ensure they take into account changes to EU state aid rules that could boost the UK’s coronavirus loan scheme, amid confusion about the alterations. It came as business group UK Hospitality urged the government to take the lead and make sure the [...]