UK business confidence highest in 10 years, Lloyds Bank says July 31, 2025 UK business confidence is at its highest level in 10 years as the service sector saw the biggest jump in optimism month-on-month, according to Lloyds Bank. Firms were more optimistic for the third consecutive month, with the rise driven by improved trade prospects and an improved economic outlook. Lloyds’ survey suggested hiring intentions had also [...]
Banks back in crosshairs as Labour eyes tax hikes July 31, 2025 George Osborne’s likely payday from the sale of Robey Warshaw to US giant Evercore won’t be the first time he’s extracted money from the banking sector. In his inaugural 2010 Budget he announced a UK bank levy of 0.05 per cent on certain bank liabilities. Conceived in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, the [...]
Barclays joins FTSE 100 peers in warning against bank tax hike July 29, 2025 Barclays has become the latest banking giant to send a firm warning to Rachel Reeves to avoid bank tax hike as the Chancellor scrambles to maintain her wafer-thin fiscal headroom. The FTSE 100 giant’s boss CS Venkatakrishnan, known as Venkat, said the government’s mission for growth would not align with slapping a tax increase on [...]
Top bosses briefed by Foreign Office on global risks July 21, 2025 Top business executives are set to receive briefings from the Foreign Office on global risks including conflicts and trade tensions as part of a wider strategy to help UK firms expand overseas. Representatives of the Premier League, Lloyds Bank and PwC are among those attending a first-of-its-kind event at Lancaster House where leading diplomats are [...]
Natwest and Lloyds: What to expect from FTSE 100 bank earnings next week July 21, 2025 The FTSE 100’s banking titans, Natwest, Barclays, Lloyds and HSBC are gearing up for what promises to be an interesting half-year reporting season. Lloyds and Natwest will kick off earnings on July 24 and July 25 followed by peers Barclays, HSBC and Standard Chartered the following week. The first quarter was defined by President Donald Trump’s [...]
UK bank profits in focus as lenders await critical motor finance court ruling July 20, 2025 Investors will be hoping UK banks will report solid earnings as lenders await the outcome of a critical court judgment that could unleash a major car finance compensation scheme. Lloyds Banking Group will kick off the sector’s half-year earnings with its results on Thursday, followed by NatWest Group on Friday. It comes at a significant [...]
Reeves seeks to spark retail investor revolution July 15, 2025 High street banks Barclays and Lloyds will lead an advertising campaign to encourage more Brits into retail investing as part of a wider effort to get savers to boost the UK economy. In rallying calls to financial services, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has unveiled a campaign to encourage savers to invest in stocks and bonds, drawing [...]
Lloyds Bank-owned firm slumps into the red after huge profits July 15, 2025 Lex Autolease, the car leasing company owned by Lloyds Bank, has fallen into the red two years after posting a profit of more than £500m. The firm, which is headquartered in London, has reported a pre-tax loss of £10.6m for 2024, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. The total comes after the business achieved [...]
Which UK banks are next in line for a takeover? July 11, 2025 As the next wave of banking consolidation kicks off, specialist lenders are in the fray to be swallowed up. The industry has seen a flood of mergers and acquisitions in recent years, of which the latest was a landmark tie-up between Santander and TSB Bank. Santander snapped up 12-year old British high street lender TSB [...]
Banks shut eight branches a week since 2016 July 10, 2025 British banks have accelerated their retreat from the high street, shutting an average of eight branches a week since 2016 in a dash to bulk up digital offerings. Nearly 3,700 sites closed between 2016 and 2024, creating 41 ‘banking deserts,’ which refer to local authorities where at least one branch shut for every 10,000 residents. [...]