Natwest hikes dividend after profit hits post-financial crisis high Banking Natwest laid out plans to splash the cash to shareholders in its full-year earnings report on Friday as the bank’s profit reached its highest since the 2008 financial crisis. The FTSE 100 banking giant – which returned to private ownership in the last year – recorded pre-tax profit of £7.7bn in 2025 financial year, up [...]
Nationwide reigns supreme in bank switch war as Santander falters Banking Nationwide maintained its top spot in the tussle for current account switchers in the third quarter of 2025 as the mutual sweetened its offer for new joiners. The building society – which was slapped with a £44m fine in December for failing to flag Covid fraud – secured a net gain of 41,450 switchers after [...]
Bank bosses brace for interrogation in FTSE 100 lenders’ earnings season Banking Britain’s banking heavyweights are gearing up to report full-year earnings with top bosses set to face the crunch on the progress of their overhaul strategies. Lloyds chief Charlie Nunn will be the first of the City’s top bankers to go under the microscope when the FTSE 100 giant releases its annual report on 29 January. [...]
Legacy banks must ‘radically modernise’ or lose to fintech stars, says former Barclays boss January 1, 2026 A decade ago, Antony Jenkins was ousted from his role as chief executive of Barclays and months later warned the banking sector was reaching an “Uber moment”. Jenkins declared technology would be an “unstoppable force” in the banking sector and could lead to hundreds of branch closures and potentially slash the industry’s workforce by half. [...]
HSBC follows Nationwide with branch pledge in bid to woo customers December 12, 2025 HSBC has promised it will not shut any branches in the UK until at least 2027 as the bank ramps up its efforts to appeal to customers. The FTSE 100 titan, which is Europe’s biggest lender, will invest £55.8m into its 327 branches in 2026, a 30 per cent increase on the £42m it spent [...]
Nationwide hit with fine after failing to flag Covid furlough fraud December 12, 2025 Nationwide had been slapped with a £44m fine by the City watchdog for failures in its financial crime controls. The building society giant has been blasted by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for missing opportunities to identify fraudulent Covid furlough payments. The FCA said one customer received 24 payments, totalling north of £27m, over 13 [...]
Lloyds to hand shareholders over £17bn by 2027, analysts say August 26, 2025 Lloyds Banking Group shareholders are set for a bumper payout with analysts projecting the lender will return over £17bn to investors by 2027. The FTSE 100 giant was listed as Jefferies analysts “preferred” banking stock following a strong year-to-date performance. Shares in Lloyds have jumped over 50 per cent since January. The bank received a [...]
Ring-fencing row puts Reeves in midst of Bank of England and City June 25, 2025 Rachel Reeves has found herself in the crosshairs of City chiefs and the Bank of England as she weighs whether to scrap ring-fencing rules. The Chancellor is facing pressure to rip up the rules imposed on British lenders after top banking chiefs branded the system “redundant”. Reeves said she is “open-minded” to ditching the 15-year-old [...]
Natwest rules out TSB takeover June 19, 2025 Natwest has ruled out a takeover of UK high street bank TSB. The FTSE 100 juggernaut was viewed as the “most likely acquirer” by analysts, with the firm hotly anticipated to begin a deal spree after it re-entered private ownership last month. TSB’s Spanish owners, Banco Sabadell, confirmed earlier this week that it had received [...]
Nationwide hands customers billions as FTSE 100 banks up shareholder payouts May 30, 2025 Nationwide returned billions to customers in 2024 whilst the FTSE 100 banking juggernauts used excess capital to up payouts for shareholders. The building society handed customers £2.8bn in the last year through a combination of reward schemes that offered better rates on savings and loans. Meanwhile, listed banks used their extra cash to give big [...]