Analysts dampen outlook for FTSE 100 banks as tax clouds gather October 21, 2025 The UK’s top banks are gearing up for a third-quarter reporting season where all eyes will be on the Labour government’s second Autumn Budget. Speculation of a bank tax hike has dominated chatter around the sector in recent months and elevated fears across the City. It also comes alongside flaring tensions between the lending industry [...]
HSBC shares jump after naming top Natwest boss as new UK chief October 21, 2025 European banking juggernaut HSBC enjoyed a bump in its share price as markets opened on Monday after the bank named its new UK boss. David Lindberg, who most recently led retail banking operations at Natwest, will join the FTSE 100 titan to take the helm at its UK bank. Shares jumped near two per cent [...]
Hyperlayer lands £30m to help legacy lenders take on fintechs October 15, 2025 London-based fintech Hyperlayer has secured £30m in fresh funding to support its mission to help established banks compete with digital first rivals. The firm’s tech is designed to work alongside existing banking infrastructure, which it says allows the legacy businesses to launch new products without complexity. Ex-Morgan Stanley International chief Rob Rooney, who found Hyperlayer [...]
UK banks tax rate rises as fears of a budget raid spike October 15, 2025 The tax rate on the UK banking sector rose in the last financial year as the industry braces for a potential hike to its financial burden in the Autumn Budget. A fresh study from banking industry body UK Finance and PwC revealed London lender’s total tax rate rose 0.6 per cent to 46.4 per cent [...]
Leeds Reforms trigger wave of recruitment in legal banking October 14, 2025 Job vacancies for banking lawyers are expected to soar, driven by the government’s Leeds Reforms which seek to unlock capital and overhaul the ring-fencing framework. Labour market analytics from Vacancysoft reveal that Britain’s legal sector is predicting significant growth in banking roles, both in private practice and in-house at major banks. The report projected a [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Lloyds warns on ‘adverse’ outcome on motor finance October 13, 2025 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. As we edge close to the Budget, more and more businesses are growing agitated over how their industry might be affected. Nowhere were these concerns more stark than in retail, where the Co-op has warned that 60,000 small shops and 150,000 jobs could be lost without business [...]
UK small businesses falling behind on AI, Google warns October 12, 2025 New research from Google has revealed a bottleneck in UK small business innovation. Over half, or 59 per cent, of SME owners say they have had to put ‘game changing’ ideas on hold over the past year, citing a lack of time to bring their concepts to life. For many, these stalled ideas are more [...]
Legal & General eyes bid for Natwest pension provider October 11, 2025 Legal & General is eying a bid for Natwest’s pension provider Cushon as the financial services giant looks to beef up its segment in the retirement market. The FTSE 100 giant is among a handful of potential buyers who have expressed interest in acquiring Cushon. Such a deal with Legal & General would thrust the [...]
What will Rachel Reeves’ budget pay for and where will the money come from? October 9, 2025 Rachel Reeves’ November budget is fast approaching, and steep tax rises are once again on the cards. Speaking at Labour conference last month, the Chancellor hinted at tax hikes by warning that she will be forced into “harder choices” by “harsh global headwinds”. To balance the books in accordance with her much-discussed fiscal rules, Reeves [...]
Natwest hires top tech talent amid UK innovation push October 9, 2025 NatWest had doubled down on its support for the UK’s high-growth and innovation economy with two senior strategic hires in its newly formed venture banking team. Greg Brown has joined as head of venture capital coverage, and Kim Martin has stepped in as head of venture and growth finance, reflecting the bank’s renewed push to [...]