Restructuring and foreign currency headwinds hammer Santander profits April 30, 2019 Santander saw profits fall by a tenth as the Spanish banking giant kicked on with a major restructuring in the UK and Poland. Read more: Santander and Barclays face lawsuits over film financing schemes The company was also hit by high inflation in Argentina which hampered earnings further, despite customer growth across its core markets [...]
Barclays shares: Optimists see an opportunity April 29, 2019 By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. These results do not impress, but there’s lots going on at Barclays and plenty to interest investors. Without the attention generated by activist investor Edward Bramson, it’s likely that last week’s lacklustre investment banking performance at Barclays (LSE:BARC) may have been passed off as just another quarter blighted by [...]
Natwest online banking outage: Bank apologises as customers unable to access accounts April 29, 2019 Natwest customers have been frozen out of their accounts this morning due to an online outage. The bank confirmed on Twitter that it had been experiencing issues and has been instructing customers to delete temporary internet files and try again. Read more: TSB online banking outage hits customers The outage began at around 5am, according [...]
City forum intervenes in Barclays’ battle with Bramson April 28, 2019 A forum for City investors has intervened in Barclays’ battle with activist investor Edward Bramson, ahead of the bank’s general meeting this week. Investor Forum has written to Barclays in recent weeks at the prompting of major institutional investors to raise a number of concerns, Sky News reported. The news comes before Barclays’ general meeting [...]
City runners shine as thousands turn out for London Marathon April 28, 2019 TENS of thousands of runners took to the streets of the city today in a record-breaking London Marathon. More than 40,000 took part in the event, won by Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge in two hours two minutes 38 seconds – the second fastest time in history and a new course record. Read more: What next for [...]
Debenhams to close 22 stores in 2020 as lenders warn of 1,200 job losses April 26, 2019 Debenhams revealed its store closure plan this morning, with up to 22 stores expected to be shuttered in 2020. Around 1,200 jobs are at risk due to the two Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs), one for property and one for retail, the company said today. Read more: Debenhams owners to outline plans to shut 20 stores The [...]
RBS profits sink as bank warns future earnings face pressure from Brexit uncertainty April 26, 2019 RBS profits fell in the first three months of 2019, it revealed a day after its chief executive announced his intention to resign. Ross McEwan yesterday announced he would step down after five-and-a-half years at the helm, saying he had achieved his strategy to refocus the bank after its £45.5bn government bailout. However, today the bank warned [...]
Bramson may lose the battle but still win the war in his clash with Barclays’ board April 26, 2019 Arguments about the merits of Barclays’ voyage into investment banking feel almost as old as the industry itself. Next week’s showdown between the lender’s board and Edward Bramson, who wants to muscle his way onto it, might prove to be a mere footnote in that story – or, ultimately, warrant a full chapter. Bramson will [...]
Acacia Mining shows disappointing results as ‘double-whammy’ hits production April 25, 2019 Gold miner Acacia disappointed investors today, sending shares down more than seven per cent, as two major mishaps hit production. Gold output dropped 13 per cent year-on-year to 105,000 ounces as part of the ground gave way at its Gokona underground mine in North Mara, Tanzania. Read more: Shareholder reaches deal with Tanzania over Acacia [...]
Barclays profits fall as investment banking unit struggles ahead of Bramson showdown April 25, 2019 Barclays profits fell 10 per cent over the first three months of 2019 as its under-fire investment bank endured a “weak quarter” ahead of next week’s showdown with activist investor Ed Bramson. But chief executive Jes Staley said the investment bank outperformed all but one of its US rivals and gained market share for the [...]