Labour deputy leader hopeful slams Rachel Reeves’ ‘excessive deference’ to OBR September 8, 2025 The prominent backbencher and former transport secretary Louise Haigh, who is a frontrunner to become the deputy leader of the Labour Party, has taken aim at Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ “excessive deference” to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and adhering to “arbitrary fiscal targets”. Senior officials in the Labour Party are set to agree on [...]
Challenger banks face ‘profitability trap’ at growth crossroads September 8, 2025 The UK banking sector faces a profitability roadblock that will give the industry’s challengers an “existential” turning point. Fresh data from KPMG suggests the industry’s average return on equity will fall to eight per cent come 2027 down from 13 per cent four years prior. This is set to spark an £11bn reduction in pre-tax [...]
Banks’ bond market headache spells trouble for FTSE 100 September 4, 2025 The frenzy in the bond market spells trouble for banking stocks and could create broader issues for the FTSE 100. Bond markets have had a tumultuous week, with the UK’s 30-year gilt yields hitting a 27-year high. This was triggered by a global sell-off, as well as political unease stemming from a Downing Street reshuffle [...]
Rachel Reeves warned on bank tax by lobby group boss September 4, 2025 Rachel Reeves has been hit with a firm warning from the banking industry to avoid taxes on the sector or risk harming economic growth. The Chancellor has received a letter from the boss of UK Finance – a lobby group for the banking industry – which details the harm of tax on the sector. David [...]
Lloyds Bank: 3,000 jobs at risk in performance overhaul September 4, 2025 Lloyds Bank is planning a major overhaul of its operations that could put five per cent of workers on the chopping block. The bank is set to review its approach to performance management with the bottom 3,000 of the firm’s 63,000 employees at risk of losing their role. The new plans, as reported by the [...]
“Smart money” is doubling down on private equity – but are private investors missing out? September 3, 2025 Public pension plans, sovereign wealth funds and family offices keep bulking up their investments in private equity and private markets. Now, at last, private investors can get in. In July, the largest US public pension fund CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System) announced its best set of results in four years. It also bulked up [...]
Budget 2025: Banks to ‘bear the brunt of higher taxes’ September 2, 2025 UK banks will be the top target as Rachel Reeves looks to drum up cash in the Autumn Budget, a top economist has said. Chatter around a cash grab directed at banks has escalated over the last week after left-wing think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) proposed that the Chancellor raid the quantitative easing [...]
Klarna confirms second hit at New York listing in snub to London September 2, 2025 Swedish fintech unicorn Klarna has launched its second hit at a listing on the New York Stock Exchange after its initial attempt was derailed by President Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught. The buy now, pay later giant said its IPO price is expected to be between $35 and $37 per ordinary share and hopes to raise [...]
Revolut boss set for bumper payday as valuation swells to $75bn September 2, 2025 The boss of Revolut is set for a bumper payday as the fintech juggernaut kicks off a secondary share sale valuing the firm at $75bn (£55.9bn). London-based staff will be able to sell up to 20 per cent of their stake in the digital bank, Bloomberg first reported. Shares will be valued at $1,381.06 (£1,029). [...]
Zopa Bank expands payments grip with retail finance acquisition September 2, 2025 Digital bank Zopa has expanded its payments reach with a fresh takeover. The fintech has snapped up Rvvup – a platform designed to streamline businesses’ acceptance, collection and management of payments. Zopa said the acquisition will treble the size of its embedded finance business in two years, which covers the integration of financial products into [...]