Although most US banks reported forecast-busting earnings for last quarter, with many describing the US economy and the consumer as 'resilient', we have started to notice a subtle increase in bad loans, which is often the precursor to a more general malaise. That doesn't mean the US is necessarily going into a recession, or that the banks will go through a repeat of the Global Financial...

Shares in UK banks dropped last on 29 August after the publication of a report by the IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research) recommending the government introduce a new tax on 'excess' profits generated since the pandemic. Shares in Barclays (BARC) fell 2.2% to 360.4p while Lloyds (LLOY) fell 3.4% to 79.5p and NatWest (NWG) fell 4.9% to 510.6p at the close. The IPPR report centres on the...

Think tanks suggests new bank tax Tax to target QE-related windfalls Proceeds to offset some BoE losses Shares in UK banks weighed on the market heading into the weekend after an independent think tank suggested the government fill its fiscal 'black hole' by raising a levy on commercial lenders. Barclays (BARC) shares were 3.3% lower at 356p, while Lloyds (LLOY) dropped 3.7% to 79.35p and...

It has now been 10 years since the then chancellor George Osborne, introduced the so-called 'pension freedoms' for individuals with defined contribution pension savings. 'Pensioners will have complete freedom to draw down as much or as little of their pension pot as they want, anytime they want. No caps. No drawdown limits. Let me be clear. No one will have to buy an annuity,' Osborne...

Close scrutiny of the AIC's (Association of Investment Companies) UK Equity Income sector shows two trusts with strong retail followings occupying top and bottom spots in the five-year share price total return performance table, namely Temple Bar (TMPL) and Finsbury Growth & Income (FGT). In what represents a reversal of fortunes for two popular portfolios, the value-oriented former has...

Whereas the biggest banks in the US, such as JPMorgan Chase (JPM:NYSE) and Bank of America (BAC:NYSE), are heavily dependent on trading and investment banking for their profits, the UK's big banks are mostly reliant on old-fashioned lending and deposit-taking. Granted, both Barclays (BARC) and HSBC (HSBA) have sizeable investment banking operations, but generally speaking their results aren't...

UK bank stocks have done well this year, thanks to expectations of lower interest rates and a mortgage market which is heating up. Shares in Barclays (BARC) are up 22%, while NatWest [NWG) shares are up 32% and Lloyds (LLOY) are up 40%. One of the best-performing stocks of 2025 is sub-prime lender Vanquis Banking Group (VANQ) ? previously known as Provident Financial ? which at the time of...

Investment trust Polar Capital Global Financials Trust (PCFT) is offering shareholders an easy exit at a premium to the current share price, cutting fees and boosting its commitment to future dividends in sweeping changes. The investment trust has launched a tender offer of its issued share capital (excluding treasury shares), providing investors with an opportunity to fully exit at a price...

According to the latest Dividend Monitor report from Computershare, which looks after the share registers of 900 companies, total UK corporate dividend payments fell 4.6% or £700 million in the first quarter of this year to £14 billion. The decline was mainly due to lower one-off special dividends and a handful of large cuts from firms such as Burberry (BRBY) and Vodafone (VOD), which halved...

After a strong performance across the board in 2024, this year has been slightly less uniform for the UK's Big Four high-street banks. First to report was global bank HSBC (HSBA), which put in a good showing with underlying revenue and earnings increasing thanks mainly to its Asia-based wealth management operations, although its trading desks also made hay during the market turmoil. The group...

Operating profit well above estimates Operating cost ratio tumbles vs 2024 Full-year income forecast increased As the last of the Big Four UK banks to report earnings each quarter, NatWest (NWG) turned out to be the best with profit beating expectations and the board raising its full-year top-line forecast to the top of the range of estimates. The shares jumped as much as 22p or 4.6% at the...

TM Redwheel UK Equity Income Fund (BG34293) 124p Assets: £501 million Managed by the duo of Ian Lance and Nick Purves, the TM Redwheel UK Equity Income Fund (BG342C6) is the spiritual successor to the pair's former five-star-rated income fund which they ran at Schroders (SDR) more than 15 years ago. With a similar brief, to generate income and capital growth in excess of the FTSE All Share...

Quarterly earnings beat forecasts Investment bank outperforms Full-year profit outlook raised Like its rivals HSBC (HSBA) and Societe Generale (GLE:EPA), UK lender Barclays (BARC) enjoyed a strong first quarter thanks to the increased volatility in stock and bond markets which powered gains in its investment banking business. Barclays shares, which have gained more than 45% in the last year...

Why is it that investors find it easier to keep buying when markets are going up rather than down? The goal of an investor should be to get the best price possible, yet emotions often get in the way. A rising market makes it feel as if everything is going to work out fine. An investor might think markets will keep rising and everything they buy will appreciate in value. In contrast, a falling...

Markets around the world have reacted with palpable relief to two major decisions by the Trump administration. First, on 9 April, reciprocal tariffs (except on China) were delayed for 90 days ? which proved the catalyst for the third-largest daily gain for US stocks since the Second World War. Many observers pegged the U-turn on movements in government bond yields which revealed declining...

UK stocks posted their biggest gains since the pandemic on Thursday after the US paused new reciprocal tariffs, as investors welcomed a break from recent volatility and easing price pressures in the US. The FTSE 100 index closed up 233.77 points, 3.0%, at 7,913.25. The FTSE 250 ended 626.77 points higher, 3.5%, at 18,517.41. The AIM All-Share advanced 17.96 points, 2.9%, at 644.97. The Cboe UK...

Defensives hold up in sell-offNew appetite for growth stocksBanks unable to shake off lossesAs the dust settles from the three-day 'Liberation Day'-inspired sell-off, the list of winners and losers makes for interesting reading.Not everything which held up during the market meltdown is being sold off, and not everything which racked up big losses is rebounding, unlike in previous recoveries,...

FTSE 100 down more than 3% at 7,763.65 Defensive and utilities stocks hold steady Entain and Taylor Wimpey 'winners' UK housebuilder Taylor Wimpey (TW.) and gambling firm Entain (ENT) bucked the trend by falling less than the blue-chip FTSE 100 index. Taylor Wimpey and other housebuilders were perhaps anticipating the possibility of the Bank of England cutting interest rates this year as a...

European banking and mining stocks bore the brunt of the selloff in morning trading on Friday (4 April) as China announced 34% retaliatory tariffs on US imports, sparking fears of a global trade war.UK banks Barclays (BARC), NatWest (NWG), Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) were some of the biggest fallers ? down 9.12%, 8.99% and 7.32% respectively on the day and global mining companies Glencore...

So far this year shares in banking group Lloyds (LLOY) have closed the gap which opened up between it and peers like Barclays (BARC) and NatWest (NWG) in 2024.That the stock has advanced year-to-date is even more impressive when you consider the company has significant exposure to the ongoing motor finance mis-selling scandal.While this remains a source of uncertainty, elsewhere the business...