Latest news with #Natwest
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
NatWest preps investor payouts as lender's profits soar
NatWest revealed fresh shareholder payouts on Friday after the lender's profits grew by almost a fifth in the first half as its takeover of Sainsbury's Bank boosted customer deposits. The FTSE 100 bank, which returned to full private ownership earlier this year, posted 18 per cent growth in operating pre-tax profits to £3.6billion for the first six months of the year, beating analysts' forecasts of £3.46billion. NatWest gained 1.1 million new customers over the period, both 'organically' and from acquiring Sainsbury's Bank in May. Customer deposits increased by £1.6billion to £319.9billion, including Sainsbury's Bank savings balances of £2.4billion and growth within NatWest's commercial and institutional business. This helped offset a sharp rise in impairment losses to £382million, up from £48million last year, primarily reflecting 'a small number of individual charges' in the commercial and institutional portfolio. The group faced a retail impairment loss of £219million, compared with £106million over the same period last year, which Natwest said 'was largely driven by the impact of balances acquired from Sainsbury's Bank'. However, overall operating expenses fell 1 per cent over the period to just over £4billion as NatWest said it was 'making good progress on becoming a simpler bank, delivering efficiencies from our investment programme'. NatWest said: 'We are digitising more customer journeys and deploying AI to improve our productivity and customer experience which is reflected in our improved NPS scores across all three businesses. 'We announced new collaborations with OpenAI, AWS and Accenture to accelerate our data simplification and enable greater personalisation for our customers.' Group operating costs, excluding litigation and conduct costs, are expected to be around £8.1billion for the full-year. NatWest announced a 9.5p interim dividend and a £750million share buyback. The lender also upgraded its key profit performance guidance for this year, saying it now expects to achieve a return on tangible equity of 16.5 per cent, from previous guidance of up to 16 per cent. Boss Paul Thwaite said: 'With positive momentum in our business, we are ambitious for the future and see clear opportunities for further disciplined growth. 'Having returned to full private ownership in Q2 2025, NatWest Group is well placed to step up and play its part in supporting economic growth across the UK and, in doing so, to create sustainable value for all our stakeholders.' NatWest's performance follows results from.
CNBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
This was a good time to raise guidance, Natwest chief financial officer says
Natwest Chief Financial Officer Katie Murray discusses the British bank's earnings, its share buyback, as well as the current U.K. economic picture.
Finextra
21-07-2025
- Business
- Finextra
Fintech Scotland sets out operational resiliance challenge
Operational Resilience UK is the focus of a new fintech innovation challenge uniting major financial institutions, regulators, and academia. 0 The initiative's goal is to jointly develop solutions that are ready for the future and strengthen the UK financial system against operational and digital threats. A coalition of leading financial institutions including Sword Group, Natwest, Morgan Stanley, Dudley Building Society, The Tipton, Unity Trust Bank, M&G, Pinsent Masons, Tesco Bank, Aberdeen and KPMG have joined forces to launch a UK-wide innovation challenge focused on strengthening operational resilience across the financial sector. Delivered in partnership with FinTech Scotland through the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab (FRIL), and collaborating with SuperTech WM to help expand the reach and impact across the UK, this initiative calls on fintech innovators to co-create next-generation solutions that can safeguard the financial system in an increasingly digital world. Operational resilience is a top priority for the UK's regulators, including the FCA, Bank of England and HM Treasury, as the sector adapts to growing digital disruption, complex supply chains, and rising consumer expectations. This challenge reflects a shared commitment from industry to proactively address these risks through collaboration and innovation. This Operational Resilience UK initiative demonstrates a growing dedication to using cooperative fintech development to adapt to complex digital ecosystems. In the face of escalating demand for seamless digital services, the challenge is designed to source practical, scalable solutions that can help firms stay resilient, responsive, and secure. It will offer selected fintechs the opportunity to work directly with financial institutions, gain valuable insights into real-world resilience challenges, and receive expert input from leading academics from the University of Strathclyde and the University of Glasgow. Successful applicants may also be eligible for up to £50,000 in grant funding to accelerate the development of their solution. The programme will culminate in a showcase event in Glasgow, where participants will present to industry and regulatory stakeholders. FinTech firms from across the globe are encouraged to apply before the deadline on August 15th. More details can be found here. Nicola Anderson, CEO of FinTech Scotland: 'This challenge is a powerful example of how collaboration can drive meaningful change. By bringing together fintech innovators, academic insight, and industry expertise, we're not only responding to the increasing demands of the digital economy, we're actively shaping a more resilient and adaptive financial system for the future.' Rob Mossop, COO Financial Services and International, Sword 'As a trusted technology partner, we recognise that operational resilience is moving beyond meeting regulatory requirements. It has become a business imperative with clear impact on business growth. We understand the critical role that trusted and adaptable solutions play in helping financial institutions respond to disruption and build competitive advantage. We are excited to see how this challenge brings together the best of industry, academia, and innovation to utilise technologies that don't just withstand disruption but enable agility and enhance trust in the face of it' Hilary Smyth-Allen, CEO SuperTech 'Our longstanding partnership with FinTech Scotland, to expand the reach of the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab, has delivered fantastic impact in previous programmes for both the fintech innovators and financial services participants. We look forward to seeing the collaborative opportunities arising from this open innovation challenge focusing on operational resilience.' Nicole Alston, Innovation Engagement Manager, NatWest 'Natwest Group are proud to support this challenge, which represents a fantastic opportunity to work hand-in-hand with fintech innovators to shape the next generation of operational resilience. By combining industry insight with fresh thinking, we can build smarter, more adaptive systems that protect customers and maintain trust' Luke Scanlon, Pinsent Masons 'Strengthening operational resilience isn't just a regulatory expectation, it's a shared responsibility across the financial ecosystem. This challenge is a compelling example of how partnerships between fintechs and industry, can drive innovation that's both agile and aligned with evolving regulatory frameworks. It's a chance to build practical solutions that work in the real world' Samuel Kennedy, Head of Operational Risk, Dudley Building Society 'For building societies, operational resilience is fundamental to maintaining the trust of our members and communities. This challenge is a chance to work alongside fintechs to explore innovative solutions that protect continuity of service, while ensuring we remain agile and responsive in a changing digital landscape.' Will Lynch, Group Deputy COO, Aberdeen 'Aberdeen's involvement in FRIL has shown the power of collaboration in tackling complex regulatory and operational challenges. We are looking forward to contributing the next phase of FRIL in an increasingly important part of the regulatory landscape.' David Owen, Head of Business Risk at Unity Trust Bank: 'Operational resilience isn't just about meeting regulatory compliance; it is about reinforcing our customers' confidence that we can withstand disruptions and continue to serve them effectively. At Unity Trust Bank, resilience is fundamental to our double-bottom-line approach: it supports sustainable business growth while deepening the trust that our socially minded customers place in us. By collaborating with fintech innovators, industry partners, and thought leaders, we are developing smarter, more adaptive systems that not only ensure continuity but also strengthen the core principles of ethical banking. The Financial Regulation Innovation Lab is part of the larger Glasgow City Region Innovation Accelerator programme. Led by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation, the pilot Innovation Accelerators programme invested £100m in 26 transformative R&D projects between 2022-25 to accelerate the growth of three high-potential innovation ecosystems - Glasgow City Region, Greater Manchester and West Midlands. The programme was boosted by an additional £30m of public funding for 2025/26 spread equally across the regions. Innovation Accelerators is piloting a new model of R&D decision making that empowers local partnerships to harness innovation to drive regional economic growth, attract private investment, and develop future technologies. By launching this nationwide initiative, Operational Resilience UK takes a leap forward in supporting secure, adaptive, and innovative financial services.
NDTV
14-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Shubman Gill's Captaincy Given Ultimate Praise, Compared To Sourav Ganguly: "Like Dada..."
Victory at Lord's for Team India is a real possibility, with India needing only 135 runs to win on Day 5. Despite losing four wickets, India still have the likes of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant left to bat, providing them a big chance of taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series against England. India delivered a clinical bowling performance under the captaincy on Day 4 to bundle England out for 192. Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif took the moment to praise Gill to the skies, comparing him to legendary India captain Sourav Ganguly, who had led a young Indian team to the Natwest Series title 23 years ago. "This July 13 is special. Dada led us to the Natwest title with aggression and ambition. Now 23 years later, Shubman Gill 's doing the same with his young team. And we didn't chase down 325 by playing Bazball," Kaif wrote on his official X account. This July 13 is special. Dada led us to Natwest title with aggression and ambition. Now 23 years later, Shubman Gill's doing the same with his young team. And we didn't chase down 325 by playing Bazball. #natwesttrophy #Lords — Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) July 13, 2025 In 2002, India had defeated the odds to chase down a mammoth target of 326 - then the highest-successful chase by India in ODI cricket. Kaif had starred in that game, slamming an unbeaten 87 off 75 balls. The victory was arguably one of the biggest highlights of Ganguly's captaincy career, and marked the rise of an Indian team featuring a number of young talents like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Kaif. Gill - India's youngest Test captain in the 21st century - is on track to win two back-to-back Tests on English soil. At the age of 25, Gill has led by example with the bat, and is seemingly taking gigantic strides when it comes to his captaincy. Gill marshalled his bowlers brilliantly on Day 4, leading to off-spinner Washington Sundar taking four wickets, as well as two each for Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj, and one each for Akash Deep and Nitish Reddy. The third Test at Lord's has also seen the aggressive side of Gill. In the first innings, Gill did not hesitate to show his anger at the condition of the second new ball and the replacement provided by the umpires. In the second innings, on Day 3, Gill was left visibly unhappy by what appeared to be time-wasting tactics from England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. It led to Gill having a stare-off with Crawley, and even telling him to "grow some b****" during the heated conversation.
India Gazette
13-07-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Kaif reflects on India's 2002 Natwest series win, hails Gill for replicating Ganguly's
New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif on Sunday reminisced over India's Natwest tri-nation series win in England 23 years back, also recalling how the current Indian Test skipper is replicating the 'aggression and ambition' of former captain Sourav Ganguly, who captured the tri-nation series title for Men in Blue. 23 years back, phenomenal knocks from Kaif and Yuvraj Singh announced to the world the arrival of a young, attacking and a fearless Team India as they chased down 326 runs set by England during the final of the Natwest series at Lord's, which till this day remains one of India's most iconic wins ever across any format of the game. Sourav's act of going shirtless and waving it from the stadium's balcony is considered as one of the greatest moments of Indian cricket history, becoming a symbol of aggression it would adapt in years to come, even in the territories of their fiercest rivals. He had avenged a similar act done by Flintoff at Wankhede's Stadium in 2002, India's most iconic venue and in a way, the centre of Indian cricket. Reminiscing on the win, Kaif took to X and wrote, 'This July 13 is special. Dada led us to Natwest title with aggression and ambition. Now 23 years later, Shubman Gill's doing the same with his young team. And we didn't chase down 325 by playing Bazball. #natwesttrophy #Lords.' After electing to bat first, England put on 325/5 in their 50 overs. Skipper Naseer scored 115 in 128 balls, with 10 fours. He had a 185-run stand with Marcus Trescothick for the second wicket. The left-handed Trescothick also scored a brutal 109 in just 100 balls, with seven fours and two sixes. All-rounder Andrew Flintoff played a supporting knock of 40 in 32 balls. The Indian bowling line-up was taken to cleaners. England's mean, ferocious batters left no corner of the Lord's untouched. Zaheer Khan (3/62) was the pick of the bowlers for India, but he received his share of beating as well. Ashish Nehra (1/66) and Anil Kumble (1/54) also took wickets. India needed 326 runs to win the final. But the possibility of an Indian win looked doubtful as during this period, India had often made a mess out of big run chases. Youngsters in the team also did not have plenty of big-match experience to settle the nerves and chase smoothly. Openers Sehwag (45 in 49 balls with seven fours) and Ganguly (60 in 43 balls, with 10 fours and a six) nonetheless, gave India the start they wanted, scoring 106 in just 15 overs. After dismissals of both openers, India lost direction with some quick wickets. Ronnie Irani and Ashley Giles had struck, getting big wickets of Sachin (14) and Dravid (5). With India at 146/5 in 24 overs, without much experience and recognised batters left in the line-up, youngsters Yuvraj and Mohammed Kaif played with responsibility and helped India cross 250 runs. They stitched a sixth-wicket stand of 121 runs, which Collingwood ended by dismissing Yuvraj for 69 (63 balls), which consisted of nine fours and a six. Kaif kept fighting with the tailenders. He stitched a valuable 47-run stand with Harbhajan Singh, who scored 15 runs worth its weight in gold. Kaif and Zaheer (4*) helped India seal a two-wicket win with three balls to go. Kaif was India's hero, scoring 87* in just 75 balls with six fours and two sixes. Irani, Giles and Flintoff took two wickets each but India pulled off a heist, highlighting their fighting spirit and attacking game. Notably, in this England tour so far, Gill has shown flashes of his tactical brilliance, aggression and an immense hunger for runs. His marathon 269 and 161 at Birmingham helped India register their first-ever win at the venue, that too by 336 runs. His act of consistently sledging England players and trying to act under their skins is very reminiscent of his idol and ex-Indian captain, Virat Kohli. (ANI)
