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LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The British government on Monday launched its new energy efficiency taskforce and named NatWest (NWG.L) boss Alison Rose as its co-chair to reduce the country's energy consumption and cut household bills. The taskforce will devise a plan to reduce total UK energy demand by 15% by 2030 compared to 2021 levels across domestic and commercial buildings and industrial processes, the government said in a statement. Hunt is due to attend a summit on Tuesday with chief executive officers, founders and leaders from the country's green companies, the government added. The taskforce also includes Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Minister Lord Martin Callanan as co-chair. "Improving energy efficiency will not only drive a lower carbon environment, but also deliver greater economic security," said Rose who is the chief executive officer of state-owned lender NatWest.

☆ 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.

☆ Morning Bid: Elusive peaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Unlike much of last year, the rates market is now inclined to believe the central bank on the direction of travel. And implied year-end rates are as high as 5.12% - almost half a point higher than where the current rate sits. Two-year Treasury yields hit a three-month high at 4.72% on Friday, with 10-year yields at 3-month peaks too - homing in on 4% for the first time since November. So as impressive as this week's stock market resilience had been to the new inflation and rates environment, it appears to be buckling again already. Key developments that may provide direction to U.S. markets later on Friday:* U.S. Jan import and export prices, leading indicator.

☆ UK unemployment is still 'unbelievably low,' says NatWest Group's CFO
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | 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 unemployment is still 'unbelievably low,' says NatWest Group's CFOKatie Murray, CFO of NatWest Group, says one of the things she looks out for "more than anything" is the unemployment rate.

☆ 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.

☆ Two market experts give their expectations for this month's CPI report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | 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 EmailTwo market experts give their expectations for this month's CPI reportCapital Wealth Planning's Kevin Simpson and NatWest Markets' Michelle Girard discuss what to expect from the January CPI report.

☆ NatWest to buy workplace savings fintech Cushon for $174 mln
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - NatWest will buy an 85% stake in workplace savings account provider Cushon for 144 million pounds ($174 million), the British bank said on Monday, as it seeks to grow its product offering to businesses. Cushon's primary products are savings accounts and pensions, NatWest said, allowing the bank to offer a new range of financial products to commercial customers and to their staff. NatWest Chief Executive Alison Rose last year said the bank was on the hunt for such deals, especially in the wealth management sector. Cushon products will at first be offered to NatWest's mid-market corporate customers, following a succesful test last year, the lender said. ($1 = 0.8264 pounds)Reporting by Lawrence White; Editing by Jan Harvey and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NatWest set to raise bonus pool above 350 million pounds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - British taxpayer-backed bank NatWest (NWG.L) is set to raise its 2022 bonus pool for staff to between 350-400 million pounds ($420-480 million), a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The pool would represent an increase of up to around a third on the 298 million pounds paid out to staff the previous year and comes amid heightened political scrutiny of whether banks are doing enough to support customers during Britain's cost of living crisis. Sky News first reported Natwest's planned bonus pool increase. It would be NatWest's second straight annual bonus pool increase, although the bank said in its 2021 accounts that the pool had been limited to reflect a 265 million pound fine for anti-money laundering failings. NatWest's bonuses are subject to a stricter cap than rivals and the overall pool is typically lower than lenders with large investment banks.

☆ 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 plans to reimburse scam victims 'fundamentally flawed,' lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Proposals to reimburse hundreds of millions of pounds to scam victims in Britain are "fundamentally flawed" and are taking too long to come into force, lawmakers said in a report published on Monday. So-called "authorised push payment" scams have become Britain's largest type of payment fraud and cost customers 583 million pounds ($715 million) in 2021. Lawmakers on Britain's powerful Treasury Select Committee criticised the plans and said mandatory reimbursements should begin this year at the latest, and not as late as 2024. "Putting an industry body in charge of reimbursing scam victims is like asking a fox to guard the henhouse," said Harriett Baldwin, chair of the Treasury committee. The PSR said it would consider all feedback before publishing its final position in May this year, adding it regulated payment system operators including Pay.UK.

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with NatWest's Michelle Girard and Bleakley's Peter Boockvar
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | 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 EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with NatWest's Michelle Girard and Bleakley's Peter BoockvarMichelle Girard, head of U.S. at NatWest Markets, and Peter Boockvar, CIO of Bleakley Financial Group, join 'The Exchange' to discuss the pace of job hiring in the U.S., Fed action and wages.

☆ Friday's strong jobs number pushes back timing of potential recession, says Michelle Girard
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | 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 EmailFriday's strong jobs number pushes back timing of potential recession, says Michelle GirardMichelle Girard, head of U.S. at NatWest Markets, and Peter Boockvar, CIO of Bleakley Financial Group, join 'The Exchange' to discuss the pace of job hiring in the U.S., Fed action and wages.

☆ NatWest CEO to face UK lawmakers on savings rates after U-turn
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - NatWest (NWG.L) CEO Alison Rose will face a grilling by British lawmakers next Tuesday over whether lenders are passing on enough of central bank interest rate rises to consumers, after initially saying she was too busy to attend. "Following further discussions with the Treasury Committee on the vital issues at hand, Alison Rose will be attending next week's Committee hearing," a spokesperson for NatWest said. Lloyds boss Charlie Nunn and executives from Barclays and HSBC are also set to attend the hearing held by the powerful Treasury Select Committee next week. NatWest had initially said its retail bank boss David Lindberg was an appropriate boss to represent the bank at the hearing. Reporting by Iain Withers; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Stocks firm, dollar on edge ahead of Fed decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Fed will announce its rate decision at 1900 GMT, followed by a news conference with Chair Jerome Powell half an hour later. Currency trade has been in a holding pattern ahead of the Fed and Bank of England and European Central Bank meetings that follow on Thursday. But the U.S. wages data wiped out some small dollar gains made earlier this week amid some nerves that the Fed sticks to its hawkish stance. United Parcel Service (UPS.N), the world's biggest package delivery firm, beat forecasts and shares rose 4.7%. Prices for dollar bonds in Adani Group companies were steadying in Asia trade on Wednesday after last week's rout.

☆ Markets are unlikely to look to Indian budget for 'telltale signs' on how to trade rupee: Strategist
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | 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 EmailMarkets are unlikely to look to Indian budget for 'telltale signs' on how to trade rupee: StrategistGalvin Chia of NatWest Markets says the Indian budget will be something of a "non-event" for those in Singapore.

☆ Dollar set for fourth monthly drop as Fed meeting looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The dollar was eyeing a fourth monthly loss on Tuesday as investors reckon a peak in U.S. interest rates could swing into view as soon as this week's Federal Reserve meeting. The U.S. dollar index is down 1.3% for January so far, though it rose 0.3% to 102.19 overnight. The Japanese yen fell 0.4% overnight but is set for its third monthly gain as markets anticipate shifts in monetary policy. Sterling and the Australian, New Zealand and Canadian dollars also made overnight losses but are set for monthly gains. Interest-rate futures indicate market expectations for a 25 basis point (bp) hike from the Federal Reserve to take the Fed funds rate window to 4.5%-4.75%.

LONDON/FRANKFURT, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Rising borrowing costs are giving a long-awaited lift to Europe's beleaguered banks, but they come with a sting in the tail. Last year central banks ended a decade of rock-bottom interest rates as the U.S. Federal Reserve and then the European Central Bank moved towards tightening. But while rising rates are good news for bank profits, they herald a slowdown in an economy hit by war and runaway prices that squeeze borrowers and could prick pricing bubbles, most notably in property. "On the one hand, interest rates are going up, which is good and helps banks," said Jerome Legras of Axiom Alternative Investments. Germany's financial regulator BaFin recently warned that a rapid rise in interest rates could weigh on some banks, and that loans may sour.

☆ Hopes of slowdown in rate hikes bolster shares ahead of U.S. GDP
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Oil prices were steady after U.S. crude stocks rose less than expected, while gold hit a 9-month peak. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) climbed 1.1% and was set for its fifth straight day of gains. The report could mark the last quarter of solid growth before the lagged effects of the Fed's jumbo rate hikes kick in. Oil prices were steady after U.S. crude stocks rose less than expected. Gold prices touched a nine-month high, with spot gold at $1,941 per ounce, after hitting $1,949.09 earlier in the day.

☆ Shares in Asia hit fresh 7-month high, U.S. GDP data awaited
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) climbed 0.9% to 557.65 and was set for its fifth straight day of gains. Trading was thin on Thursday with Australia closed for a holiday and certain parts of Asia, including China, still away for the Lunar New Year. Investor attention will also be on the Bank of England and European Central Bank meetings due next week, with traders looking for clues as to when the central banks are likely to turn dovish. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 0.09% to $80.22 per barrel, while Brent was at $86.05, down 0.08% on the day. Gold prices touched a nine-month high, with spot gold at $1,945.55 per ounce, after hitting $1,949.09 earlier in the day.

☆ Euro-banks have done their time in valuation jail
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Major euro zone and UK banks are trading at a 40% discount to the region’s wider benchmark index, using price to forward earnings multiples tracked by Refinitiv. The subsequent euro zone crisis in 2012 prompted a wave of bad debt that weighed down earnings. More recently, though, euro zone lenders have been facing up to their past sins, and offloading non-performing loans. There’s no evidence of a bank lending splurge, despite years of rock-bottom interest rates. Between November 2012 and November 2022, euro zone banks’ total lending to households and companies grew at an annual clip of under 2%, a fraction of its pre-2008 pace.

☆ Strong U.S. economic growth expected in fourth quarter, outlook darkening
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Retail sales have weakened sharply over the last two months and manufacturing looks to have joined the housing market in recession. While the labor market remains strong, business sentiment continues to sour, which could eventually hurt hiring. According to a Reuters survey of economists, GDP growth likely increased at a 2.6% annualized rate last quarter after accelerating at a 3.2% pace in the third quarter. Trade, which accounted for the bulk of GDP growth in the third quarter, was seen either making a small contribution or subtracting from GDP growth. While the labor market thus far has shown remarkable resilience, economists argue that deteriorating business conditions will force companies to slow hiring and lay off workers.

☆ GDP report could show solid fourth-quarter growth but still signal a recession is coming, economists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Economic growth is expected to have slowed slightly in the fourth quarter but was still solid, driven by a strong consumer. According to Dow Jones, economists expect that U.S. gross domestic product grew by 2.8% in the fourth quarter, down from the 3.2% pace in the third quarter. While economists see a strong fourth quarter, they are divided on where the economy goes from here and a key is the consumer. The slowdown in residential investment has taken a full percentage point off of growth in the fourth quarter, he said. Some market strategists see a strong fourth quarter as another sign the economy could avoid falling into recession, and a better-than-expected report could reinforce that view.

☆ Amazon creates bazaar for U.S. banking wannabes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jeffrey Goldfarb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The e-commerce goliath recently added to its growing pile of debt with an $8 billion loan. After first tapping the market’s biggest bookrunners, Amazon enlisted Canada’s TD Securities to shop the lesser-traveled byways around Wall Street for the follow-up deal. It’s easy to understand why the wannabes would jump at the chance to work with Amazon. Others such as BBVA, which offloaded its American subsidiary but kept its broker-dealer business, are keen to expand in U.S. investment banking. For Amazon, spreading the wealth is a chance to trial new banking relationships before potentially hiring them for more complicated matters.

☆ Stocks becalmed before potential CPI storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

European futures rose 0.4%. Bonds held overnight gains and the U.S. dollar was pinned near a seven-month low at $1.0769 per euro . "(It) is the CPI number that could help settle the debate for the February meeting," said NatWest Markets' U.S. rates strategist Jan Nevruzi. U.S. Treasuries added a little to overnight gains, with benchmark 10-year yields down 3.7 bps to 3.5189% and 30-year yields down 4.4 bps to 3.6375%. Foreign exchange markets were elsewhere holding their breath ahead of CPI data while China's reopening kept a bid under Asia's currencies.

☆ Asia stocks hit 7-month high on China and CPI bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Following gains for Wall Street indexes overnight, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose 0.5% and touched an almost seven-month high. Bonds were bought around the world overnight and the U.S. dollar wavered, to touch a seven-month low at $1.0776 per euro . "(It) is the CPI number that could help settle the debate for the February meeting," said NatWest Markets' U.S. rates strategist Jan Nevruzi. "We expect a below consensus CPI print, which if it materialises, could push this rally even further." Foreign exchange markets were elsewhere holding their breath ahead of CPI data while China's reopening kept a bid under Asia's currencies.

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