Natwest to ‘outperform’ sector with bumper year, analysts predict May 6, 2025 RBC analysts slapped a “Sector Outperform” rating on Natwest after the lender beat expectations in its first-quarter report. The analysts upgraded full-year profit before tax estimates by three per cent to £7.1bn, compared to £6.2bn in 2024, and upped the stock’s target price to 475p from 465p. They said the upgrades were driven by net [...]
HSBC Asset Management’s sustainability boss to depart as sector pivots on ESG May 5, 2025 The top sustainability boss at HSBC Asset Management is set to leave the firm amid chief executive Georges Elhedery’s review of the lender’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies. Erin Leonard’s exit, as first reported by Reuters, follows Celine Herweijer, the bank’s former chief sustainability officer, leaving the firm at the end of last year. [...]
FTSE 100 lenders cash in on market turmoil but provisions climb May 5, 2025 FTSE 100 banking giants saw trading income spike in the first quarter as investors sold-off stocks in the face of geopolitical tensions, but tariff threats continued to weigh on future earnings. HSBC kicked off reporting season pocketing a $9.5bn (£7.1bn) pre-tax profit, which surged ahead of the $7.8bn pencilled in by analysts. Barclays and Natwest [...]
FTSE 100 on track for longest winning streak ever May 2, 2025 The FTSE 100 is set to net its longest winning run ever as it recovers from the tariff-induced market chaos of April. Should the UK’s flagship index continue its morning rally and close in the green on Friday for the 15th consecutive trading session, it will beat the current record of 14 days achieved in [...]
Natwest shares jump as stamp duty rush and market chaos boost income May 2, 2025 Natwest beat analysts’ first-quarter profit expectations after market volatility and a rush to beat stamp duty boosted takings. The FTSE 100 giant booked a £1.8bn pre-tax profit, surpassing the £1.6bn pencilled in by analysts. Shares in the lender rose over three per cent during early trading on Friday. Total income rose 3.8 per cent to [...]
Lloyds’ finance boss slams ring-fencing amid waning growth forecast May 1, 2025 Lloyds‘ finance boss raised the alarm on lenders’ ability to help drive growth due to restrictions from the ring-fencing regime. The bank trimmed its UK GDP expectations and has projected a rise in unemployment in the latest warning sign for the health of the British economy. The FTSE 100 giant pencilled in 0.2 per cent [...]
Mercer: Pension funds need better pick of UK investments for key deal to work May 1, 2025 The government’s proposed pensions deal will not boost growth unless better UK investment opportunities are put on offer, the boss of one of Britain’s biggest funds has warned. In an interview with City AM, Benoit Hudon suggested a stronger pipeline of UK assets was needed as current options did not deliver good enough returns for [...]
Mark Kleinman: Is Reeves about to rip up ring-fencing? May 1, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column Is Reeves about to rip up ring-fencing? Rachel Reeves rips up ring-fencing: it’s an alliteration aficionado’s dream headline. It’s also an increasingly realistic one, following an intervention by a quartet of UK bank chiefs last week [...]
Barclays boss breaks from FTSE 100 peers on Reeves lobbying April 30, 2025 The chief executive of Barclays has defended the ring-fencing regulation facing British banks, despite his FTSE 100 peers calling on the Chancellor to abolish it. CS Venkatakrishnan told Sky News on Wednesday morning that the benefits of protection offered by the rules outweigh the costs of implementing and administering the system. The UK’s ring-fencing regime [...]
Channel 4’s investment arm gives £3m backing to UK fintech Sprive April 29, 2025 Channel 4 has entered the fintech realm after its investment arm participated in a funding round that topped £5.5m. Channel 4 Ventures injected £3m into mortgage overpayment app Sprive, in a fundraiser led by venture capital firm Ascension. The funding aims to assist the early-stage consumer fintech’s in fulfilling its mission to help millions repay [...]