Figures from NatWest and Barclays should confirm profits growth in the banking sector and are expected to follow a deal by the former that will consolidate its recovery from the 2008 financial crash.
NatWest, trading as Royal Bank of Scotland north of the border, has enjoyed a surge in its shares on the back of rising profits and a cash pile that have enabled it to embark on acquisitions and higher returns to shareholders.
It is expected to announce a £2.5bn swoop on wealth manager Eveyln Partners which will follow its acquisition of Metro Bank’s mortgage books and Sainsbury’s Bank.
The bank is also committed to supporting housebuilding and has set a new target to provide £10bn to UK social housing by the end of 2028, taking its total support for social housing since 2018 to more than £35bn once fully deployed.
Barclays shares may not be at an-all time high but they are approaching the 500p mark for the first time since late 2007.
This reflects a marked improvement in profitability and cash returns at the bank, for whose fourth-quarter and full-year results expectations are also high.
As for the headline pre-tax profit figure, analysts are looking for £9.1bn, compared to £8.1bn in 2024. The same figures will help to shape any guidance for 2026, where the consensus profit forecast is £10.7bn
DIARY
Monday 9 February
- Full-year results from Porvair and Wynnstay
- Chinese inflation figures
Tuesday 10 February
- Full-year results from Barclays
- BRC UK retail sales data
Wednesday 11 February
- First-half results from Barratt Redrow, Renishaw, PZ Cussons and MJ Gleeson
- US inflation
Thursday 12 February
- Full-year results from Unilever, RELX and Schroders
- First-half results from Ashmore
- UK GDP growth
- UK manufacturing, industrial production and construction output growth
Friday 13 February
- Full-year results from NatWest
- EU unemployment
- EU GDP growth
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