One in four Brits cling to bank branches as closures soar May 20, 2025 Brits remain keen for in-person banking even as high-street sites shutter, a fresh report from the Financial Conduct Authority has revealed. One in four current account users still opted to use branch services in the year to May 2024 despite their waning availability. The figure marks a steep drop from 63 per cent in 2017, [...]
FTSE 100 banks Lloyds and Natwest set to profit despite lower interest rates May 13, 2025 Amidst a backdrop of waning interest rates, FTSE 100 banking giants such as Lloyds and Natwest look set to continue to profit, according to analysts. Lenders’ takings from net interest income (NII) remained steady in the first quarter, even after the Bank of England chopped interest rates four times to 4.5 per cent. Since then, [...]
Lloyds costs soar as lender increases provisions after tariff turmoil May 1, 2025 Lloyds Banking Group’s profit took a hit in the first three months of the year as the domestic-focused bank’s operating costs soared. The FTSE 100 giant, which includes Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, met analyst expectations for pre-tax profit at £1.5bn – marking a seven per cent drop from the first quarter of 2024. [...]
Construction firms lose hope but businesses are ‘showing resilience’ April 30, 2025 Construction firms have grown despondent about their business prospects despite signs of resilience across the UK economy, a new survey has found. The sector is key to the housing secretary Angela Rayner’s plans to build 1.5m homes by 2030 though early signs suggest the ambitious target will not be met. Construction saw a bigger drop [...]
Ford on the hook for £61m in motor finance scandal April 22, 2025 Ford has set aside as much as £61m as it becomes the latest company to be stung by the motor finance scandal. The American car manufacturer’s subsidiary FCE Bank made the provision for its British motor finance division in its latest accounts. The Essex-based FCE Bank said the provision reflected “estimated economic outflow” should a [...]
Lloyds warns Arsenal fans over Champions League ticket scams April 18, 2025 Arsenal fans have been warned to watch out for ticket scams surrounding the Champions League final. The Gunners toppled Galacticos Real Madrid over two legs to set up a semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain. But should they beat the Ligue 1 champions, a final in Munich awaits against either Barcelona or Inter Milan. It has prompted [...]
Rachel Reeves calls in City bosses for crisis tariff talks April 9, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to meet with top City bosses today amidst the fallout of President Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught. Executives from Hargreaves Lansdown, Legal & General, Lloyds Banking Group and M&G will attend the Chancellor’s summit, according to Sky News. The talks will cover the Treasury’s financial services growth and competitiveness strategy, sources [...]
Lloyds sends 200 senior staff to Cambridge University for AI bootcamp March 28, 2025 Lloyds Banking Group has set out plans to send over 200 senior employees on an 80-hour AI bootcamp at the University of Cambridge. The FTSE 100 lender has joined with education technology firm Cambridge Spark for a “bespoke six-month training programme” to enhance AI capabilities across its management. The first cohort of 30 Lloyds leaders [...]
Lloyds shares worth 70p say analysts March 4, 2025 Peel Hunt analysts have raised their price target on Lloyds shares by 17 per cent to 70p and slapped a ‘Hold’ rating on the FTSE 100 lender. The analysts cited strengthening income trends and reduced sensitivity to interest rates as the top factors driving the bank’s “top-line performance.” The banking giant‘s full-year profits fell 20 per [...]
Pay for Lloyds Bank’s top bosses jumps to £5.6m February 28, 2025 Lloyds Bank’s top executives have received a bumper windfall despite the lender’s rocky results and mass closure of high-street branches. In its annual report published on Thursday, the bank said its top two bosses would receive nearly £2m in bonuses in 2024 in addition to their regular payouts. Chief executive Charlie Nunn will receive a [...]