FTSE 100 banks are facing £2.5bn of headwinds – HSBC and Barclays are in the firing line May 6, 2026 The FTSE 100’s Big Five banks toasted a healthy profit stash in the first-quarter, but, says Samuel Norman, storm clouds are gathering on the horizon for the sector. The London market’s five biggest banks swallowed a bitter cocktail of economic risks in the first three months of the year leaving a bumper cash haul overshadowed [...]
A bank tax hangs in the balance at the local election ballot May 6, 2026 As speculation of a leadership challenge – or sweeping reshuffle – surrounds the forthcoming local elections, in this week’s column Samuel Norman looks at what a change in Chancellor would mean for the banking sector. It is no secret that Thursday’s local elections carry a weight far heavier than the fate of a few neighbourhood [...]
HSBC profit drops after Iran war and private credit charges bite May 5, 2026 HSBC missed its profit target in the first quarter of the year after the blue-chip lender booked a mammoth credit charge. The FTSE 100 giant – which boasts a huge £230bn market cap – recorded a pre-tax profit of $9.4bn (£6.5bn), missing the $9.6bn pencilled in by analysts. This figure is also down $100m on [...]
‘Alarming’ lack of private credit understanding in finance bosses May 5, 2026 The elusive nature of the private credit industry has been called further into question with fresh data revealing less than one in five financial services leaders fully understand their exposure to the sector. A fresh report from Big Four firm KPMG has found just 14 per cent of financial services executives believe they are fully [...]
‘Inflection point’: Challenger banks loan growth halved in 2025 May 5, 2026 Challenger banks have reached an “inflection point” after loan growth across the industry halved in the last year, a fresh report has warned. New analysis from Big Four firm EY showed lending growth across UK challenger, specialist and digital banks slowed to 4.5 per cent in 2025, down from 8.9 per cent. This came as [...]
After Santander’s TSB takeover – who are the top players in UK banking? May 1, 2026 Santander shocked the City last years after beating out its rivals to snap up TSB Bank. Now with the takeover complete, who are the major players in the sector? The near £3bn mega-merger of Santander and TSB has finally reached completion. And with it, Spanish-owned Santander is set to significantly beef up its UK presence [...]
Natwest shares slip as bank upgrades income on higher interest rates May 1, 2026 Natwest breezed past profit expectations in the first quarter of the 2026 and is predicting a greater bump to its bottom line on the back of higher-than-expected interest rates. The FTSE 100 giant booked a £2bn pre-tax profit in the first three months of the year, up from £1.8bn in the same period last year [...]
Standard Chartered registers $190m charge on Iran war April 30, 2026 Standard Chartered’s impairment charges jumped in the first quarter as the bank set aside a hefty sum to cover volatility in the Middle East. The FTSE 100 giant booked $296m in credit impairment charges, with $190m of this coming from “precautionary management overlays” related to the war in Iran. The Asian-focused bank’s activity in the [...]
Banning payment for order flow is an EU blunder the UK shouldn’t repeat April 29, 2026 As the EU looks to impose a full ban of payment for order flow, Sylvain Thieullent argues why that would be misguided for the UK.
Santander UK profit slides after motor finance reserves balloon April 29, 2026 Santander UK’s profit took a knock in the first quarter of the year after the bank made another hefty top up to its motor finance provisions. The UK arm of the Spanish banking giant booked a £202m pre-tax profit for the first three months of 2026. This was down 44 per cent from the same [...]