Why have UK banks been insulated from US panic? Regulation, regulation, regulation March 24, 2023 Regional lenders in the US have been in the spotlight since the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) with investors concerned they might be at risk from an avalanche of deposit flights. Since the collapse of SVB and Signature, shares in the US KBW regional banks index have fallen over 10 per cent. In the [...]
Small businesses risk running out of cash after post Brexit banking rules rollout February 16, 2023 New banking regulations could increase the cost of small business lending by around a third and “fundamentally change” the market as debate around the implementation of international banking rules in the UK intensifies. Regulators in the UK are scrutinising the latest round of Basel regulations, the global regulatory overhaul prompted by the financial crisis. Concerns [...]
Jupiter to sell £100m stake in Starling Bank at steep discount on April valuation September 22, 2022 FTSE 250 asset manager Jupiter is in advanced talks to sell a £100m stake in Starling Bank at a heavy discount on its most recent valuation of £2.5bn. Jupiter Fund Management is in talks with several of the challenger bank’s existing investors, with a view to offloading a seven per cent share in the firm, [...]
Shawbrook owners put plans to sell the challenger bank on ice September 4, 2022 The owners of Shawbrook Bank have reportedly shelved their plans to sell the lender. Private equity firms BC Partners and Pollen Street Capital were seeking bids of around £2bn for the challenger bank, which specialises in lending to small and medium-sized companies. The Financial Times reported, however, that the firms had failed to attract offers [...]
‘Break the chains’ of regulation holding back challenger banks, MPs say August 30, 2022 A “one-size-fits-all” approach to regulating UK lenders has failed and watchdogs need to “break the chains” restricting the growth of challenger banks, a group of MPs said today.
Atom Bank set for first year of profit after three quarters in the black July 18, 2022 Digital lender Atom Bank is on track to post its first full year of profits after revealing today it had spent three quarters in the black in the full year to March. The Durham-based bank, founded by chief executive Mark Mullen in 2014, notched underlying pre-tax losses for the year of £2m, a £34m improvement [...]
Newly minted: Challenger bank Kroo is just second to be granted BoE licence since August 2016 June 27, 2022 There’s a new bank on the block with digital company Kroo receiving the first licence issued by the Bank of England since early 2021. The FinTech firm becomes just the second to get a green light since 2016, after completing a number of tasks to prove its robustness, compliance, risk management and leadership. Kroo was [...]
City watchdog hits Ghana International Bank with £5.8m fine over money laundering failures June 23, 2022 The UK’s financial watchdog has fined Ghana International Bank £5.8m over its poor anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing control measures. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) fined the London bank over its failure to carry out proper checks for money laundering. The watchdog said that while there is no evidence any money laundering actually took place, [...]
Monzo poised to press on with crypto plans, co-founder says June 16, 2022 Monzo is likely to double down on its crypto investment plans despite a looming ‘crypto winter’, its co-founder said today.
FCA urges lenders to ‘act now’ to protect consumers from cost of living crunch June 16, 2022 The UK’s top financial watchdog has written to UK lenders today urging them to “act now” to ensure they can protect consumers amidst a cost of living crunch this year.