Sofas and season tickets: Inside the world of retail finance May 16, 2025 Retailing financing is on the up and as big banks steer away from the market, specialist lenders are cashing in. Fresh research from the finance and leasing association (FLA) showed consumer finance grew by 13 per cent in March 2025, compared to the year prior. The first quarter of 2025 saw a six per cent [...]
Why are Brits hoarding cash? May 15, 2025 Like Tolkein’s Gollum, Brits like to hoard their assets, opting for the security of cash over equity based investments. Barclays estimates that £430bn in investable funds—cash exceeding six months’ salary—are held in bank accounts rather than funnelled into the stock market. This begs the question: why are British investors so devoted to an asset which [...]
Natwest: Shares in FTSE 100 giant smash decade high May 15, 2025 Shares in banking giant Natwest notched a ten-year high on Thursday as the government continued to whittle down its stake in the lender. The FTSE 100 giant’s stock was up nearly one per cent during mid-day trading and touched highs of 498.8p. Natwest shares are up nearly 24 per cent since the beginning of 2025 [...]
How the big four banks are proving private capital can drive social change May 15, 2025 Better Society Capital has unlocked £4bn in social investment over 12 years, proving how public-private collaboration can tackle the UK’s most complex challenges – from housing to healthcare. Here’s why it’s time for more investors to step up, says James Chew In 2011, the UK’s four largest banks – Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest – [...]
Burberry ‘optimal opportunity for investors’ as turnaround gains steam May 15, 2025 Analysts have labelled Burberry’s share ‘undervalued’ as the brand’s plan to turn its back on a rocky year gains steam. The FTSE 250 firm reported a major improvement in half-yearly sales on May 14 – although it wasn’t quite enough to stop the company falling into an operating loss for the financial year. Sales fell [...]
Exclusive: JP Morgan’s City of London office vandalised May 14, 2025 JP Morgan’s London office was left in ruin on Wednesday morning after a brutal act of vandalism. Victoria Enbankment staff were met with smashed windows and an assault of red paint across building walls upon reaching their office. Security had cordoned off all entrances to the bank, with staff exiting through guarded side doors. JP [...]
Wetherspoon, Marston’s and Young’s manage to fend off UK pubs crisis – for now May 13, 2025 Some of the UK’s biggest pub chains – JD Wetherspoon, Marston’s and Young’s – have all proved surprisingly resilient in avoiding the hospitality crisis predicted last Autumn. The London-listed companies have all reported better-than-expected trading over the last year, despite very low business and consumer confidence. In an update to markets this morning, Marston’s reported [...]
Barclays: Shares in FTSE 100 giant near decade high after upgrade May 13, 2025 Barclays has received a major boost after the FTSE banking giant posted a bumper first quarter, driven by a strong performance in its investment arm. Analysts at RBC have upgraded Barclays’ shares, slapping a 340p target price on the stock – a 14 per cent increase. Shares edged up 0.2 per cent during early trading [...]
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, [...]
O2 Arena owners: Lions announcement future of sport in London May 12, 2025 Last Thursday nearly 2,000 people packed their way into Indigo at the O2 as the squad for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia was announced. It’s not the first time this kind of event has taken place. At the same site, albeit the larger O2 Arena, earlier this year Formula 1 hosted its [...]