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While the Fed is widely expected to raise rates by 25 basis points at its policy rate announcement at 1800 GMT, the hopes of a pause in increases have grown after a banking crisis that has threatened to hurt economic growth. Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L) edged down 0.8% despite beating quarterly profit estimates, as the bellwether lender echoed rivals in maintaining its full-year forecasts. However, energy stocks (.FTNMX601010) were a drag, down 1.2%, tracking weakness in crude prices. Haleon (HLN.L) lost 3.8% as the world's biggest standalone consumer health business reported first-quarter profit below analyst expectations. Luxury carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda (AML.L) lost 2.2% after it reported a narrower quarterly pre-tax loss and maintained its 2023 outlook.

Bischoff died on Tuesday of natural causes, a close relative, who asked not to be named, told Reuters on Wednesday. A former chairman of Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L), Citigroup (C.N) and more recently JP Morgan Securities (JPM.N), Bischoff had also been CEO of Schroders (SDR.L). Robert Swannell, former chairman of Marks & Spencer, who worked with Bischoff for 33 years at Schroders and later Citi, said he would profoundly mourn his friend and colleague. The deal was hailed as a huge success for Bischoff's leadership team, having started with a business worth just a fraction of the 1.3 billion pounds price Citi later paid. He returned to JP Morgan as chairman of JP Morgan Securities the same year.

☆ UBS could see big gains after forced Credit Suisse merger. Big U.S. banks may also be winners, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

UBS ' acquisition of Credit Suisse could lead to big gains for the Swiss bank. UBS agreed to buy Credit Suisse for 3 billion Swiss francs, or around $3.2 billion, in a forced deal announced Sunday. As part of the deal, Credit Suisse shareholders receive 1 UBS share for every 22.48 Credit Suisse shares they hold. But Barclays analyst Amit Goel wasn't so sure, cutting his view on European banks to neutral from positive on Monday. Wells Fargo's Mike Mayo, meanwhile, sees opportunity for U.S. banks coming out of the UBS takeover of Credit Suisse.

☆ From spying to Swiss bailout: How years of turbulence at Credit Suisse came to a head
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen at an office building in Zurich, Switzerland February 21, 2022. The announcement that Credit Suisse would borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion) from the central bank came after consecutive sessions of steep drops in its share price. It made Credit Suisse the first major bank to receive such an intervention since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Scandals Credit Suisse is currently undergoing a massive strategic overhaul in a bid to address these chronic issues. These oversight failures resulted in a massive shakeup of Credit Suisse's investment banking, risk and compliance and asset management divisions.

"Sterling markets will continue to digest yesterday’s Budget delivered by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt as well as the broader global environment. Markets remain ambivalent whether the Bank of England will raise interest rates next week," said Hann-Ju Ho, senior Economist, Commercial Banking at Lloyds Bank. The European Central Bank (ECB), meanwhile, is a little behind the BoE in its quest to fight inflation. Traders attach a 60% chance of the ECB raising rates by 50 bps on Thursday, with a 40% chance of 25 bps. Money markets show investors expect ECB rates to peak around 3% later this year, compared with a peak of 4% just over a week ago.

With assets of around 5.5 billion pounds and deposits of around 6.7 billion pounds, SVB UK is a minnow compared to HSBC. The situation was urgent because SVB UK had lost almost half of its deposits in the 48 hours leading up to its rescue, the source said. Officials from the Bank of England and Treasury along with board members from SVB UK were then locked in talks. HSBC also plans to inject 2 billion pounds of liquidity into SVB UK, a spokesperson for HSBC said. Advisory firm Rothschild, which advised SVB UK according to sources, also declined to comment.

[1/2] A notice hangs on the door of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) located in San Francisco, California, U.S. March 10, 2023. "Silicon Valley Bank cannot be allowed to fail given the vital community it serves," Bank of London co-founder and CEO Anthony Watson said. But an executive at a major UK bank said it was unlikely a high street lender would buy SVB UK because its credit products would not be a good fit for a mainstream bank. EXISTENTIAL THREATMore than 250 UK tech firm executives signed a letter addressed to Hunt on Saturday calling for government intervention and warned of an "existential threat" to the UK tech sector, a copy seen by Reuters shows. Sunak has said he wants to turn Britain into the "next Silicon Valley".

☆ UK races to minimise SVB fallout amid reports of potential buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] A notice hangs on the door of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) located in San Francisco, California, U.S. March 10, 2023. SoftBank-owned lender OakNorth Bank is weighing a bid to buy Silicon Valley Bank UK Ltd, a person with knowledge of the talks told Reuters, confirming a Sky News report. EXISTENTIAL THREATMore than 250 UK tech firm executives signed a letter addressed to Hunt on Saturday calling for government intervention and warned of an "existential threat" to the UK tech sector, a copy seen by Reuters shows. Hunt reiterated comments by the BoE that overall, Silicon Valley Bank had a limited presence in Britain and did not perform functions critical to the financial system. Sunak has said he wants to turn Britain into the "next Silicon Valley".

☆ British lawmakers ramp up pressure on banks over savings rates, exec pay
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Treasury Committee noted profit margins at the four biggest British banks - Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L), NatWest (NWG.L), HSBC (HSBA.L) and Barclays (BARC.L) - increased in 2022 earnings published last month, while some also bumped up boardroom pay. The committee has asked the four banks to justify why they offer less than 1% interest on easy access savings accounts, despite the Bank of England benchmark rate rising to 4%. Banks reported robust profits for 2022 in earnings last month, but warned margins could already have peaked as competition steps up. Analysts have questioned whether political pressure could have been a factor in banks outlining cautious guidance on their future earnings potential. Reporting by Iain Withers; editing by Sinead Cruise, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK economy in 'a lot better shape' than bleak figures suggest, fund manager says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

People walk outside the Bank of England in the City of London financial district, in London, Britain, January 26, 2023. Henry Nicholls | ReutersLONDON — The U.K. has thus far avoided a widely anticipated recession, and the signs from the business world are that the economy may be holding up better than feared, according to veteran Schroders fund manager Andy Brough. Figures published earlier this month showed that the U.K. GDP contracted by 0.5% in December, as the economy flatlined over the final quarter of 2022 to narrowly avoid a technical recession. "Underneath companies' profitability x-minus today, we're seeing pretty good dividend increases, pretty good earnings statements, so, underlying, I think the economy is in a lot better shape. 'Signs of life' in business investment Uncertainty over future relations between Westminster and Brussels have hammered business investment since the U.K. voted to leave the European Union in 2016, in turn hampering productivity expansion and adding to the direct costs of Brexit on the U.K. potential growth.

☆ Wall Street analysts are warning stocks are about to come crashing down
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Today's Fed minutes release should provide more insight on what's to come in March. So according to Wilson, stocks have entered this death zone after climbing too high too fast in hopes the Federal Reserve is about to pull back on its aggressive monetary policy. He's reiterated several times this year that the rally will lose steam, and he expects sticky inflation to push the Fed to hold interest rates higher for longer. The bank's analysts now see the Fed raising rates by 25 basis points in June, which would bring the terminal rate to a target range of 5.25-5.5%. "As [stocks] have reached even higher levels, there is now talk of a "no landing" scenario – whatever that means," Wilson noted.

Lloyds set aside 1.5 billion pounds in 2022 to cover potential loan distress, a year after releasing 1.4 billion pounds of provisions as the economy rebounded from COVID-19. The bank reported pre-tax profit of 6.9 billion pounds ($8.4 billion) for 2022, unchanged on the previous year and in line with analyst forecasts it had compiled. It plans to pay a 1.6 pence per share final dividend and a share buyback of up to 2 billion pounds, taking total shareholder returns for 2022 up to 3.6 billion pounds. Expenses also rose 6% to 8.8 billion, partly due to rising wage bills as Lloyds boosted its staff bonus pool by 12% to 446 million pounds. Lloyds also said it had bought Tusker, a vehicle leasing company that provides electric vehicles via salary sacrifice schemes, for 300 million pounds.

☆ Lloyds full-year profit flat as bad loan charge weighs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L) reported flat annual profit for 2022 on Wednesday, as a jump in income driven by higher interest rates was offset by mounting bad loan provisions. Britain's biggest mortgage lender reported pretax profit of 6.9 billion pounds ($8.4 billion), unchanged on the prior year and in line with analyst forecasts compiled by the bank. The bank announced it would pay a 1.6 pence per share final dividend and a share buyback of up to 2 billion pounds, taking total shareholder returns for 2022 up to 3.6 billion pounds. Lloyds set aside 1.5 billion pounds over the year to cover potential defaults, compared to a 1.4 billion pound release of provisions in 2021 as the economy rebounded from COVID-19 lockdowns. Lloyds' revenue leapt 14% to 18 billion pounds and it raised its medium and long-term outlook for returns.

☆ London stocks fall as rate hike worries linger, Lloyds drags
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) lost 0.9%, hitting its lowest level in over a week. The banking sector (.FTNMX301010) lost 1.4%, with shares of HSBC (HSBA.L) off 1.2% and Prudential (PRU.L) down 2.3%. London-listed shares of Rio Tinto (RIO.L) slumped 2.5% after the global miner posted a 38% drop in annual profit and more than halved its dividend. Those worries remain in focus ahead of the release, later in the day, of the minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve's latest meeting. Despite the session's losses, the exporter-heavy FTSE 100 has had a strong start to the year, helped by some positive earnings and a stir in commodity prices.

☆ Britain's Tesco to explore sale of banking unit, Sky News reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - Britain's biggest retailer Tesco Plc (TSCO.L) is planning to review its presence in the UK banking sector in a move that could lead to a sale of its banking arm, Sky News reported on Saturday. The supermarket chain operator is lining up Goldman Sachs to advise on the future of Tesco Bank, the report said. The review was at a very preliminary stage and may not lead to a formal sale process, the report quoted sources as saying. A partial sale or joint venture could also be an option for the retailer, the report added, quoting one source. Tesco Bank, which was founded in 1997, has more than five million customers across its banking and insurance business, according to the data available on its website.

☆ NatWest calls time on UK banks’ rate-hike party
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But NatWest Chief Executive Alison Rose has brought that excitement to an end. It’s surprising that Rose thinks lending margins have maxed out already. Higher rates take a while to feed into revenue because so many borrowers have long-term or fixed-rate debt, which reprices slowly. That would be a cause for celebration among households and firms with spare cash, but it might bring the bank share-price party to an end. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ NatWest outlook drags down shares despite profit leap
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of NatWest, a retail unit of RBS, outside a bank branch in London, U.K., on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. NatWest warned on Friday that rising interest rates may not deliver the long-lasting earnings bonanza investors hope for, even though profit jumped by 33% last year. Shares in the bank fell as much as 9% as investors digested forecasts for profitability and costs for 2023, even as the bank reported annual pretax profit rose to 5.1 billion pounds ($6.1 billion) from 3.8 billion pounds. State-backed NatWest did increase payouts for shareholders, announcing a 10 pence per share final dividend and an 800 million pound share buyback. Rose's total pay package for 2022 jumped nearly 50% to 5.2 million pounds, up from 3.6 million pounds the previous year.

☆ This fund manager says there's a 'value gap' in European markets. Here's how he's playing it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

There's a "value gap" in European markets, and that's creating a unique opportunity for investors to buy up top-notch financial and industrial names at a bargain, according to David Herro, chief investment officer of international equities at Harris Associates. European markets dropped sharply last year as war concerns mounted in Ukraine, energy prices surged, and the Chinese economy struggled. But even as share prices dropped, earnings continued improving, opening up what Herro calls a value gap. When it comes to international markets, Herro's got the credentials to support this type of declaration. "Just about every one of the major European financials is over capitalized, and distributing that money back to shareholders positions," Herro told CNBC.

☆ FTSE 100 slips from record high as upbeat data stokes Fed rate jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Sruthi Shankar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) fell 0.6% after hitting a record high of 7,906.58 in the previous session. Attractive valuation levels compared to overseas peers and the large divergence in performance between different parts of the market "create good opportunities for attractive returns from UK stocks in the next 3-5 years", he added. The domestically-focussed FTSE 250 (.FTMC) fell 0.8%, after climbing an eight-month peak last week. Online trading platform Plus500 Ltd (PLUSP.L) jumped 4.2% after it got licence to expand in the UAE. Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK house prices to fall 8-10% this year, Lloyds CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUK house prices to fall 8-10% this year, Lloyds CEO saysCharlie Nunn, CEO of Lloyds Banking Group, discusses the outlook for the U.K. economy and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

☆ UK house prices to fall by up to 10% this year, Lloyds Bank CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Fog shrouds the Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions Citigroup Inc., State Street Corp., Barclays Plc, HSBC Holdings Plc and the commercial office block No. LONDON — U.K. house prices will fall by up to 10% this year, as higher mortgage rates and the broader cost of living crisis curtail home buying, Lloyds Bank CEO Charlie Nunn told CNBC on Tuesday. The U.K. property sector remained sluggish in recent months, as the Bank of England continued to hike interest rates aggressively in order to reel in double-digit inflation. Inflation hit 10.7% in November, and the Bank has hiked rates at nine consecutive policy meetings to lift its main rate from 0.1% to 3.5%. A report from British property website Rightmove on Monday showed asking prices for homes rising slightly in January for the first time in two months.

☆ StanChart suitors track banking’s flighty fortunes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Peter Thal Larsen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But one reliable rule of thumb is that Standard Chartered (STAN.L) will be the subject of periodic bouts of takeover speculation. The latest prospective suitor, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB.AD), reflects the shifting fortunes of global banking. Under UK rules, First Abu Dhabi cannot make an offer for StanChart for six months, unless another bidder emerges. The Abu Dhabi lender said it had been in “the very early stages of evaluating a possible offer” for the emerging markets-focused bank. Standard Chartered declined to comment.

☆ How Ana Botín can defeat the Santander sceptics
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Dec 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Investors aren’t buying what Ana Botín is selling. That’s striking because analysts expect Santander to earn a respectable 11% return on tangible equity (ROTE) over the next 12 months. One way to express the dissonance between those numbers is to infer the return investors require to hold the bank’s shares. To shed that discount, Botín must prove Santander is the best owner of its component bits. The group generated an annualised return on tangible equity of almost 14% in the first nine months of 2022.

☆ JPMorgan, Citi and BNP invest in risk management provider Acin
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Andres Gonzalez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A view of the exterior of the JP Morgan Chase & Co. corporate headquarters in New York City May 20, 2015. REUTERS/Mike SegarLONDON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - A group of five banks including JPMorgan , Citi (C.N) and BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) are among the investors who backed an overall $24 million fundraising for risk control specialist Acin as part of their strategy to step up their risk expertise. "We have been working with Acin for the past three years, during which they have supported our established operational risk management and assessment practices," said Julian Liau, Chief Controls Manager at JPMorgan. Both Notion Capital and Fitch Ventures backed Acin in the last fundraising. Acin helps financial institutions digitise their operational and non-financial risk analysis, using its data analytic capabilities.

☆ Barclays appoints Currie as chief operating officer
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Lawrence White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Barclays (BARC.L) said it has appointed Alistair Currie as its chief operating officer on Wednesday, as CEO C.S. Currie replaces Mark Ashton-Rigby, who will step down and advise the bank on a part-time basis. Currie had headed the lender's consumer banking and payments business, and will be replaced in that role by Vim Maru, who joins from Lloyds Banking Group. The changes come at a time when Barclays' executive committee of senior managers has taken on increased prominence in the running of the bank, while Venkatakrishnan is treated for cancer. New chief operating officer Currie will in addition to that role take on the running of BX, the bank's name for its firm-wide company providing technology and other support services to all parts of the business.

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