NatWest quarter profits almost triple to £1.3bn as higher interest rates offset bad loan provision February 17, 2023 NatWest recorded bumper profits in the final quarter of last year as the boost from higher interest rates outweighed funds set aside to cope with bad loans. Profits at the bank increased to £1.3bn in the final quarter, in line with market expectations and doubling compared to last year. This brought yearly profits to £3.6bn, [...]
FTSE 100 close: London index pulls further away from record 8,000 point threshold as British Gas owner surges February 16, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 scaled further above the 8,000 point mark today driven by investors piling into British Gas owner Centrica after it posted record profits of more than £3bn last year. The capital’s premier index jumped 0.18 per cent to 8,012.53 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the [...]
‘Substantial reduction’ in bonuses at Deutsche Bank and Barclays as fallout from WhatsApp scandal continues February 16, 2023 Deutsche Bank and Barclays have both cut bonuses for senior staff that inappropriately used WhatsApp as the fallout from an industry-wide crackdown on the use of private messaging services continues. According to Bloomberg, employees at Deutsche Bank who were found to be in severe breach of policies will see a “substantial reduction” in their bonus. [...]
FTSE 100 close: London index breaches 8,000 mark for first time ever despite Barclays tumbling February 15, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 today breached the 8,000 point mark for the first time ever despite Britain’s biggest banks tanking after Barclays posted a big profits drop. Today’s move higher crystalises the premier index’s bullish start to 2023 that has seen it surged more than seven per cent. The new year rally builds on advances that [...]
Barclays shares slump to bottom of FTSE 100 as investors take fright at profit drop February 15, 2023 Barclays shares tanked nearly eight per cent today, sending them to the bottom London’s FTSE 100 index, driven by investors fretting over the bank announcing today weaker than expected profits. The firm’s profit in the three months to December last year fell eight per cent to £1.3bn despite a £800m revenue bump, taking the lender’s [...]
Barclays cuts bonus pool as profits tumble eight per cent on £500m provisions for loan defaults February 15, 2023 Barclays performed worse than expected in the final quarter of 2022, as higher expenses and an increase in bad loan provisions weighed on performance, leading to a £200m bonus cut for top staff. Profit fell in the quarter after the bank set aside £498m in impairment costs in case of bad loans, compared to a [...]
What now for Standard Chartered, and why is the bank still a takeover target? February 15, 2023 Standard Chartered found itself the target of takeover talks last week, after Bloomberg reported that First Abu Dhabi Bank was ready to make an offer once the cooling off period from its last offer, which had been just weeks earlier in January, had passed. The rumours were quickly quashed by First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), [...]
Sir Frederick Barclay: Veteran due at High Court in latest round of money fight with ex wife February 13, 2023 Retired businessman Sir Frederick Barclay is due back at the High Court in the latest round of a fight over money with his ex-wife. A judge ordered Sir Frederick, 88, to hand Lady Hiroko Barclay lump sums totalling £100 million in May 2021 following the breakdown of their 34-year marriage. At the time, Sir Jonathan [...]
UK banks set to report record profits of £37bn beating pre-financial crisis highs February 13, 2023 The UK’s top banks are set to unveil record profits in the next two weeks after sharp interest rate hikes boosted the lenders’ coffers last year. The big five FTSE 100 banks – Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest and Standard Chartered – could post cumulative pre-tax profits of £37.4bn as they reveal their earnings for 2022, [...]
Tech Nation lines up potential buyers for assets as closure looms February 12, 2023 Start-up group Tech Nation has reportedly lined up a host of potential bidders for its assets as it prepares to permanently close its doors at the end of March.