Santander first quarter profit plunges 82 per cent on coronavirus April 28, 2020 Spain’s Santander bank posted an 82 per cent year-on-year slump in quarterly net profit todayas it booked higher provisions for expected credit losses from the coronavirus outbreak. The Eurozone’s second-largest bank by market value reported a profit of €331m (£288.5m) for the first quarter ended in March. Overall loan-loss provisions rose 80 per cent after [...]
UK banks ease coronavirus business loan requirements April 27, 2020 The UK’s biggest banks have said they will ease their lending conditions to make it easier for small businesses to access cash through the coronavirus business loan schemes, after chancellor Rishi Sunak offered 100 per cent guarantees to the smallest businesses. The coronavirus business interruption loan scheme (CBILS) has been criticised by many firms who [...]
Lloyds gives staff at risk stay of execution during coronavirus pandemic lockdown April 27, 2020 Lloyds Banking Group has given staff in redundancy an extra month of breathing space during the coronavirus lockdown. The bank said last month it would pause plans to cut 780 jobs during the crisis. However, those already going through the redundancy process faced an unknown fate, with one source telling Morning Wire they feared Lloyds [...]
Private equity groups: EU state aid rules could block coronavirus loans April 27, 2020 Private equity firms are increasingly concerned that viable but highly-indebted or loss-making British firms, potentially including high-street names, will be ruled out of coronavirus business loan schemes due to European Union state aid rules. European lobbying groups representing the industry are set to write to the EU this week to try to ensure such firms [...]
Deutsche Bank might temporarily miss capital target as impact of coronavirus hits April 27, 2020 Deutsche Bank announced first-quarter results were above market expectations, but warned it might temporarily miss its capital requirement target in light of the coronavirus crisis. In an unscheduled update on Sunday, the German lender said it expects to report group profit before tax of €206m (£179.6m)and net income of €66m (£57.54m). Revenue is expected to [...]
UK coronavirus business loan scheme approval rate half of Germany’s April 27, 2020 The UK’s coronavirus business loan scheme has half the approval rate of its German equivalent, data has shown, as chancellor Rishi Sunak mulls the creation of a new programme targeted at the country’s smallest businesses. The latest figures from banking body UK Finance showed on Thursday that 16,600 firms had received loans worth a total [...]
BoE boss Andrew Bailey: Bank keeping ‘eyes open’ ahead of next meeting April 26, 2020 Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has said Threadneedle Street is keeping its “eyes open” for risks to the economy or financial system ahead of its next scheduled interest rate decision on 7 May. Bailey also highlighted the huge amount of uncertainty the UK economy still faces. “No one can be sure exactly how the [...]
ISS recommends re-election of Barclays boss Staley in further blow to Sherborne April 24, 2020 ISS has joined Glass Lewis in recommending Barclays shareholders vote to re-elect chief executive Jes Staley, in another blow to Edward Bramson’s vehicle Sherborne Investments. The Barclays boss has faced pressure from Bramson and Sherborne Investments over his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority are [...]
CBILS application process ‘soul destroying’, says director of film industry business April 23, 2020 The process of applying to the lenders administering the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme (CBILS) has been “soul destroying,” the director of a small film industry business has said. Diane Nyiry of Devon-based Cine Power International told Morning Wire: “I have been shocked at the way the banks have been behaving, they haven’t been very [...]
Blackmore Bond topples into administration owing £45m April 23, 2020 Mini-bond investment firm Blackmore Bond has collapsed into administration. The joint administrators, Geoff Bouchier and Benjamin Wiles of Duff & Phelps, were appointed yesterday. Blackmore was founded in Manchester in 2016. It issued mini-bonds to retail investors with a minimum investment of £5,000. The company used the money to invest in a portfolio of property [...]