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LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) - British banks should have to serve a customer even if they disagree with his or her lawful political views, and should apply anti-money laundering checks proportionately, financial services minister Andrew Griffith said on Tuesday. Griffith was asked about his views on recent issues around banking services for politicians and other 'politically exposed persons' by the House of Lords' Economic Affairs Committee, which did not name Farage directly. Griffith said Britain's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) now had powers under a new financial services law approved last week to revisit these rules. "The second thing that we've asked is that the FCA look at creating a domestic politically exposed persons (category) to reflect the lower category of risk associated with those whose affairs are wholly domestic," Griffith said. Reporting by David Milliken, Editing by Huw Jones and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Griffith, Nigel Farage, Coutts, Griffith, it's, David Milliken, Huw Jones, Mark Potter Organizations: Brexit Party, NatWest, Economic Affairs Committee, Authority, FCA, Thomson

☆ Nigel Farage says set to lose Coutts account, offered NatWest one instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) - Nigel Farage, the former Brexit party leader, said on Tuesday that British private bank Coutts had told him it was closing his accounts and had offered him a standard one with its parent group NatWest instead. A NatWest spokesperson declined to comment. The BBC reported earlier on Tuesday that Farage fell below the financial threshold required to hold a Coutts account. Coutts' website advises its clients should be able to borrow or invest at least 1 million pounds ($1.3 million) with the bank or hold 3 million pounds in savings. He said he had been offered a NatWest account on June 29 after he complained publicly about losing his accounts, adding he has been given a postponement of a few weeks before his Coutts accounts are closed.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Coutts, Farage, Iain Withers, Alexander Smith Organizations: NatWest, Reuters, BBC, Thomson

☆ Yen weak, dollar drifts as traders weigh Fed rate hike path
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The yen weakened 0.09% to 144.45 to start the second half of the year, having lost 9% against the dollar in the first six months of the year. Against the euro, the yen was hovering at 157.66, just under the 15-year low of 158 it touched last week. It intervened again in October after the yen plunged to a 32-year low of 151.94. Markets are pricing in a 84% chance of the Fed hiking rates by 25 basis points in its July meeting, CME FedWatch tool showed. The Australian dollar rose 0.02% to $0.667, while the New Zealand dollar rose 0.42% at $0.615.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Suzuki, Marc Chandler, Sterling, Ankur Banerjee, Christopher Cushing, Kim Coghill Organizations: Finance, Japan, Bannockburn Forex, Bank of Japan, U.S, U.S . Federal, Citi, Labor, Survey, NatWest, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Bannockburn, Japan, U.S ., U.S, United States, Singapore

☆ UK banks asked by lawmakers if they're 'exploiting' savers with low rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - British banks faced fresh criticism on Monday for the savings rates they offer to cash-strapped customers, in the latest intervention by parliament's influential Treasury Select Committee. British banks have come under pressure from lawmakers and consumer campaigners for not passing on the extent of higher Bank of England rates to savings customers. Finance minister Jeremy Hunt also said last week banks were too slow to pass on increases in central bank rates to savers and that the problem needed to be resolved. Top executives from the banks were grilled by the Treasury committee on savings rates during a session in February. "Savings rates have increased and we always encourage people to shop around for the product and interest rate that is suited to their needs," the spokesperson added.

Persons: Harriett Baldwin, Jeremy Hunt, Baldwin, Iain Withers, Jason Neely, David Holmes Organizations: Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Bank of, Treasury, Finance, Financial, Authority, Thomson

☆ UK mortgage rates rise again, turning screw on homeowners and buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - Major British lenders on Thursday announced another increase in mortgage rates offered via brokers, pushing many products above the 6% mark in painful news for many homeowners and potential buyers. Barclays (BARC.L), NatWest (NWG.L) and Virgin Money (VMUK.L) informed brokers that rates on many mortgage offerings will rise again on Friday, according to emails seen by Reuters. "As mortgage rates continue to rise, the property market is being pushed further towards a cliff edge and there's no real help in sight," mortgage broker Lewis Shaw of Shaw Financial Services said. Two-year swap rates - a key determinant of mortgage borrowing costs - have soared by 0.83 percentage points over the course of June. Mortgage rates of 6% represent the same financial burden from repayments as they did in the late 1980s, even though mortgage rates were around 13% then, according to housing market analyst Neal Hudson, founder of consultancy BuiltPlace.

Persons: Lewis Shaw, Andrew Goodwin, Liz Truss, Neal Hudson, Andy Bruce, William Schomberg, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: Bank of England, Barclays, NatWest, Virgin, Reuters, Nationwide Building Society, Shaw Financial Services, Oxford, Oxford Economics, Thomson

☆ UK banks are appropriate airbag for mortgage crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Last year this was 2.9% on average for Lloyds, NatWest and Barclays. Hunt may be able to get banks to hike their savings rates merely by veiled threats. After all, the government would only be getting banks to do what they should be doing anyway. “It is taking too long for the increase in interest rates to be passed on to savers, particularly with instant access accounts,” Hunt told parliament. Around 60% of household deposits are held in instant access accounts, the committee said.

Persons: Banks, Jeremy Hunt, shouldn’t, it’s, Hunt, ” Hunt, “, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Monday, Banking Group, NatWest, Barclays, Lloyds, JPMorgan, NatWest –, Alpha, Treasury, Bank of England, Labour Party, National Savings and Investments, of, Lloyds Banking Group, HSBC, Barclays –, Thomson

☆ Asia stocks subdued after Powell testimony fails to surprise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SINGAPORE, June 22 (Reuters) - Asian shares made a tentative start to Thursday after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell stuck to his recent hawkish tone as investors assess the future rate policy path from the Fed. Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic said on Wednesday the Fed should not raise rates further or it would risk "needlessly" sapping the strength of the U.S. economy. The comments highlight the growing debate at the central bank over when and if the central bank should hike further. "The BoE's conditional guidance put the burden of proof on the data showing more persistent inflation pressures to continue hiking bank rate. Markets will also be awaiting policy decision from Turkey's central bank, with a policy pivot and a sharp rate increase widely expected.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Australia's, Powell, Kevin Cummins, Raphael Bostic, BoE, Taylor Nugent, Sterling, Brent, Lincoln Organizations: Federal, Japan's Nikkei, Fed, NatWest Markets, Atlanta Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Reuters, National Australia Bank, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Washington, Atlanta, U.S, Turkey's

The two pilots, however, would allow extensive information sharing between banks on large-scale financial crime, expand public-private data sharing initiatives and set up a similar platform to Britain's national fraud database for serious economic crime. The pilots could be formally launched by October when Britain's economic crime and corporate transparency bill, currently on its way through parliament, is expected to become law. This legislation aims to protect regulated firms from confidentiality rules if they share information to tackle economic crime, giving them the leeway to ramp up data sharing. One financial crime investigations lawyer, who declined to be named because of client sensitivities, said that information-sharing needed appropriate safeguards. The NCA told Reuters it was discussing the data sharing pilot with a number of banks to try and identify "actionable intelligence".

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Banks, Simon Fell, Iain Withers, Kirstin Ridley, Sinead Cruise, Jane Merriman Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Lloyds, NatWest, Reuters, HSBC, Barclays, Crime Agency, UK Finance, Home Office, NCA, Thomson Locations: Russia, Britain, Ukraine

On three-month deposits above $1 million, Credit Suisse will pay 5.88%, the person added. Credit Suisse suffered an exodus of client funds in the first quarter that brought the lender to the brink of collapse. Credit Suisse declined to comment. The rescue, backed by public funds, was designed to prevent Credit Suisse's collapse from triggering a wider banking crisis. Chief Executive Sergio Ermotti said on the day the deal was closed, that around 10% of Credit Suisse employees had left in the run-up to completing the transaction.

Persons: Sergio Ermotti, Stefania Spezzati, Vidya Ranganathan, Elisa Martinuzzi, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Credit Suisse, UBS, NatWest, Bloomberg News, Credit, Reuters, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, LONDON, Asia, Swiss, London, Singapore

☆ Asia shares near 4-month peak, yen falls as BOJ maintains policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The BOJ rounded up a central bank heavy week, keeping its pledge to "patiently" sustain massive stimulus to ensure Japan sustainably achieves its 2% inflation target accompanied by wage hikes. As widely expected, the BOJ maintained its -0.1% short-term interest rate target and a 0% cap on the 10-year bond yield set under its yield curve control (YCC) policy. Markets are now pricing in 67% chance of the U.S. central bank raising its interest rate by 25 basis points next month, according to CME FedWatch tool. The European Central Bank on Thursday left the door open to more rate hikes as it flagged risks from rising wages and revised up its inflation projections. The ECB also raised interest rates by 25 bps taking its policy rate to 3.5%, a level not seen since 2001.

Persons: DAX, Kazuo Ueda's, Charu, HSI, Ryan Brandham, Lagarde, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Kim Coghill Organizations: Federal, Bank of Japan, Ueda, Saxo Markets, Nikkei, Nasdaq, Validus Risk Management, European Central Bank, ECB, NatWest Markets, China . U.S . West Texas, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, North America, U.S, China . U.S

☆ Why the new bull market is headed for more Fed stress after a rate hike pause
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Natalie Rose Goldberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

And even if the Fed does pause, Ferguson says it doesn't mean that more rate hikes aren't coming over the rest of the year. He isn't alone in the view that a Fed pause won't last long. This view is underpinned by, among other things, a labor market that continues to be tight. Others see recent cooling the labor market as a signal the Fed may soon have more need to moderate its rate hike strategy. "The broad picture here is the labor market is cooling in a sustainable way.

Persons: Savita Subramanian, Roger Ferguson, That's, Ferguson, CNBC's, isn't, Michelle Girard, Steve Liesman, Dennis Lockhart, Lockhart, Fed's, Jerome Powell, Brendan McDermid, — Ferguson, Wharton, Jeremy Siegel, Siegel, Jerome Powell's, Rucha Vankudre, Nick Bunker, Bunker, Goldman Sachs, David Solomon —, Solomon, Goldman, Frederic Mishkin, it's, Mishkin, we've Organizations: Federal Reserve, Dow Jones, NASDAQ, Bank of America, Fed, NatWest Markets, Atlanta Fed, Traders, New York Stock Exchange, CNBC, Conference Board, Labor, Lightcast, Former Fed, Bank of Canada, Reserve Bank of Australia Locations: U.S

☆ Dollar falls after weak services data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Karen Brettell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, June 5 (Reuters) - The dollar fell on Monday on news that the U.S. services sector barely grew in May as new orders slowed, ending an initial rally sparked by strong jobs growth. A reading above 50 indicates growth in the services industry, which accounts for more than two-thirds of the economy. The dollar index fell to 104.00, down 0.13% on the day, after climbing as high as 104.40. The Aussie dollar edged higher before the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is due to announce its interest rate decision on Tuesday. "We expect the RBA to hike tomorrow and guide for more, leading to a ~25-bp upgrade to terminal rate pricing and a sharp AUD rally."

Persons: Bill Adams, Brian Daingerfield, Philip Jefferson, Daingerfield, Wells, Erik Nelson, Jack Boswell, Iain Withers, Kirsten Donovan, Richard Chang Organizations: YORK, Institute for Supply Management, Reuters, Comerica Bank, Reserve, NatWest Markets, Reserve Bank of Australia, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Stamford , Connecticut, U.S, London

☆ Analysis: Germany leads big bond rally as inflation finally heads down
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Yoruk Bahceli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Borrowing costs, or bond yields, in the benchmark euro area issuer are down at least 20 basis points (bps) this week , . Yet this week's notable moves suggest investors are plumping with the view that easing inflation and recession risks are strong bond buy signals. Traders now expect the ECB hikes to peak at around 3.7% by September, suggesting two more hikes from 3.25% currently. COMPLICATEDInvestors cautioned that the European inflation outlook remained more complicated than in the United States, where inflation broadly is down sharply from peaks. This week's fall in borrowing costs followed sharp rises the previous two weeks on bets for more rate hikes.

Persons: Kaspar Hense, Flavio Carpenzano, It's, Cosimo Marasciulo, Marasciulo, BlueBay's Hense, Oliver Eichmann, DWS, Eichmann, Yoruk Bahceli, Harry Robertson, Dhara Ranasinghe, Susan Fenton Organizations: Bank, British, Thursday's, Traders, BlueBay Asset Management, Capital Group, ECB, U.S . Federal Reserve, General Investment Management, Bank of England, NatWest, Pictet Wealth Management, Thomson Locations: Germany, United States, Europe, Amundi, U.S, Britain, DWS

☆ Britain lowers stake in NatWest with $1.6 bln share sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The lender returned to majority private ownership in March 2022 after a similar block sale. The government has a target of fully returning NatWest to private ownership by 2026. "Today's sale is another major milestone in returning NatWest to full private ownership as promised," Andrew Griffith, economic secretary to the Treasury, said in a statement. Britain owned 84% of NatWest at the peak of its ownership after it bailed out the bank in 2008. The sale announced on Monday is the government's sixth block sale of NatWest stock to date, the government said.

☆ FTSE 100 edges higher as NatWest, StanChart shares rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Domestic house prices rise in MayUK lowers stake in NatWest, shares climbDechra Pharma down after profit warningUS debt ceiling talks to resume after impasseFTSE 100 0.3%, FTSE 250 flatMay 22 (Reuters) - UK's blue-chip index edged higher on Monday, with NatWest shares rising after it agreed to buy 1.3 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) worth of its shares back from the government, although lingering uncertainty over the U.S. debt ceiling impasse weighed on overall mood. The FTSE 100 (.FTSE) rose 0.3%, with bank stocks in the lead. Standard Chartered (STAN.L) rose 2.4% after Bank of America upgraded the stock to "buy" from "neutral". UK-listed stocks have traded in tight bands since late April as investors digested mixed corporate earnings, weakening outlook for commodity-linked stocks and standoff over the U.S. debt ceiling deal. ($1 = 0.7923 pounds)Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Children's’ allowances are outpacing inflation in Britain — with kids now getting $8 a week
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

On average, kids in the U.K. now get £333.84 ($415.08) of pocket money a year, which is £32.24 more than in the previous surveyed time period. Fifteen-year-olds were the only ones who saw a decrease of pocket money, by £0.52 to £9.72 a week. But the cost-of-living crisis is impacting pocket money, Will Carmichael, CEO and co-founder of NatWest Rooster Money, points out. The annual NatWest Rooster Money Pocket Money Index is based on data from 126,122 children in the U.K. which was collected between March 2022 and February 2023. "Pocket money" is defined as the sum of regular allowances and add-ons from things like birthdays, the tooth fairy, good grades and doing chores.

☆ Asian shares inch up as investors brace for China data, Fed speakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The guarded optimism is set to extend to Europe when markets open, with pan-region Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.2%. Both S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures were mostly flat. China is due to report monthly industrial production, retail sales and fixed asset investment data on Tuesday. "However, with China's data throwing up a few concerns of late - we've seen poor import, PPI, and loan data - China's growth is very much at the heart of market moves," said Weston. U.S. crude futures fell 0.6% to $69.61 per barrel, while Brent crude futures were down 0.6% to $73.68 per barrel.

☆ Stocks stumble as investors' nerves show ahead of US inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SINGAPORE, May 10 (Reuters) - Stocks were struggling to advance in Asia and the dollar was firm on Wednesday ahead of U.S. consumer price data that could damage hopes for interest rate cuts later this year if inflation fails to show much of a decline. Overnight the S&P 500 (.SPX) fell 0.5% and S&P 500 futures were steady in the Asian morning. A firm U.S. dollar pushed the euro back below $1.10 to $1.0971. Treasuries were broadly steady overnight, though debt-ceiling brinkmanship is warping the bills market as investors avoid bills maturing early in June. The dollar was also firm at 135.14 yen and has lifted slightly from recent lows on the Aussie , kiwi and sterling .

☆ Brits are being offered no-deposit 100% mortgage loans for the first time since 2008
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Renters in the U.K. will be able to borrow up to 100% of the value of a property in a new mortgage scheme introduced by Skipton Building Society. LONDON — Renters in the U.K. will be able to borrow up to 100% of the value of a property without a guarantor or deposit in a new mortgage plan introduced by Skipton Building Society. The average five-year rate was 5% in March, according to the Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report, across all loan-to-value ratios. Buyers typically get a 5.33% mortgage rate on 95% LTVs, according to the report, but the majority of buyers opt for a lower rate. The new Skipton deal is widely reported to be the first time a mortgage lender has offered 100% mortgage products since 2008, when some building societies offered rates of up to 125%.

☆ Slower US job growth expected in April; unemployment rate seen rising to 3.6%
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The unemployment rate is forecast to have risen to a still historically low 3.6%. "The labor market is slowly bending, but not breaking," said Sam Bullard, a senior economist at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina. "There is continued resilience in the labor market right now, but the trend is one that is continuing to see a decelerating pace of momentum." The service-providing sector likely accounted for most of the anticipated job gains in April. WAGE GAINS MODERATEAverage hourly earnings are expected to have risen by 0.3% in April, matching March's gain.

Lenders wasted little time in charging more for loans when interest rates rapidly rose from an almost 15-year slumber around zero last year, but most have dragged their feet on boosting deposit rates paid to millions of their customers. Money market funds are proving popular among savers seeking bigger returns on their cash as high levels of inflation persist. Data from Refinitiv Lipper showed more than 34 billion euros ($37.6 billion) of net flows into European money market funds in March, the best-selling asset type that month. Fidelity International also reported an 8% year-on-year uplift in flows into money market funds on its investment platform between Jan. 1 and April 26. Some lawmakers have criticised banks for the mismatch between what they charge borrowers and the interest rates offered to savers.

☆ Girard: There's no longer any need for further rate hikes by the Fed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | 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 EmailGirard: There's no longer any need for further rate hikes by the FedMichelle Girard, Head of U.S. at NatWest Markets, discusses the Federal Reserve's rate hiking campaign.

☆ Stocks slide into Fed mode, shorts stalk banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Overnight, tumbling regional bank stocks (.KRX) dragged the S&P 500 (.SPX) down 1.2% and oil dived more than 5% on fears that shaky bank confidence and signs of weakness in the U.S. job market were harbingers of a looming broader slowdown. Bonds rallied as investors reckoned the Federal Reserve, which sets policy later on Wednesday, will soon be switching from rate hikes to cuts. Among banks, PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O), down 27.8%, Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N), down 15.1%, and Comerica Inc (CMA.N) down 12.4%, were the biggest losers. If that happens, focus will be on whether or how hard Fed Chair Jerome Powell pushes back on investors' expectations for rate cuts by year's end. The Australian dollar has given back some of the ground gained on Tuesday, following a surprise rate hike from the central bank, and sat at $0.6670.

LONDON, May 3 (Reuters) - Interest rate rises helped British bank Lloyds (LLOY.L) beat first quarter profit forecasts on Wednesday, but early signs of stress among some borrowers pointed to tougher times ahead. Lloyds reported pretax profit of 2.3 billion pounds ($2.9 billion) for the first three months of 2023, above the 1.95 billion pounds average of analyst forecasts compiled by the bank and up from 1.5 billion pounds the prior year. While earnings have exceeded expectations across the sector, Lloyds has echoed rivals in keeping full-year performance forecasts flat instead of upgrading them further as some analysts had anticipated. Lloyds is the last of Britain's 'Big Four' banks to post its quarterly results, after HSBC, NatWest and Barclays also reported profit jumps. But in common with others, Lloyds also reported deposit outflows of 2.2 billion pounds over the quarter as customers dipped into savings and moved money into alternative products.

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