Banking 24 April 2026 - 30 April 2026

Commonwealth Bank shares slide as budget housing risk hits a richly priced bank
····

Commonwealth Bank shares slide as budget housing risk hits a richly priced bank

Commonwealth Bank of Australia shares fell 1.40% to A$171.57 on Tuesday, extending a three-day slide as investors reacted to federal budget changes restricting negative gearing and altering capital gains tax. The selloff hit the broader banking sector, with National Australia Bank, ANZ, and Westpac also down. CBA will raise variable home-loan rates by 0.25% from May 15 after the Reserve Bank lifted its cash rate to 4.35%.
May 12, 2026
Lloyds Banking Group Profit Jumps 33% as Iran War Risk Clouds UK Bank Outlook
···

Lloyds Banking Group Profit Jumps 33% as Iran War Risk Clouds UK Bank Outlook

Lloyds Banking Group posted a 33% jump in first-quarter pretax profit to £2.025 billion, beating forecasts and raising its 2026 net interest income outlook. The bank took a £151 million charge tied to the Middle East conflict and warned the Iran war could hit growth. Customer loans rose to £486.2 billion, while deposits slipped to £495.9 billion. Half-year results and a new strategy update are due in July.
April 30, 2026
HSBC’s New India Wealth Boss Shows Where the Bank Wants Growth Next
···

HSBC’s New India Wealth Boss Shows Where the Bank Wants Growth Next

HSBC appointed Gautam Anand to lead its Global India private banking division, overseeing wealthy clients in India and major hubs abroad. The announcement comes days before HSBC’s first-quarter earnings on May 5. Anand joined HSBC Private Bank in December 2023 and previously managed South Asian client coverage. HSBC relaunched its India private banking business last year, targeting high-net-worth clients.
April 30, 2026
Why Citi’s $52mn Vis Raghavan Hire From JPMorgan Is Suddenly Under Scrutiny
···

Why Citi’s $52mn Vis Raghavan Hire From JPMorgan Is Suddenly Under Scrutiny

Citigroup’s $52 million hire of Vis Raghavan from JPMorgan Chase is under scrutiny after reports he was dismissed from JPMorgan following complaints about his behavior, days before Citi appointed him as head of Banking. Citi disputes the characterization, saying its process was thorough and began in January. Raghavan’s compensation package and rapid moves since joining have drawn investor and analyst attention. JPMorgan declined to comment.
April 29, 2026
ANZ Group Holdings Faces New Cost Fight as Regional Banks Push $153 Million Branch Plan
···

ANZ Group Holdings Faces New Cost Fight as Regional Banks Push $153 Million Branch Plan

Australia’s Regional Banking Investment Alliance has urged the government to require major banks, including ANZ, to fund face-to-face regional branch services through a levy estimated at A$153 million. The push comes as ANZ prepares to report half-year results on May 1. Regional banks claim they are losing revenue as customers use their services for transactions while holding accounts with larger banks. The proposal would exempt smaller banks with less than 1% of industry assets.
April 27, 2026
Barclays Faces Q1 Test as £9.1 Billion Car-Finance Overhang Starts to Clear
···

Barclays Faces Q1 Test as £9.1 Billion Car-Finance Overhang Starts to Clear

The UK motor-finance trade body said it will not challenge the FCA’s £9.1 billion redress scheme, removing a legal risk for Barclays ahead of its Q1 results on Tuesday. Barclays has joined Lloyds, Santander, and Close Brothers in stepping back from court action. The FCA estimates 12.1 million agreements are eligible for compensation. Barclays disclosed £116 million in share buybacks last week.
April 27, 2026
Commonwealth Bank Drawn Into $153 Million Branch Fight as AI Push Deepens
···

Commonwealth Bank Drawn Into $153 Million Branch Fight as AI Push Deepens

An alliance of 24 regional banks is urging Australia’s major banks, including CBA, to help fund rural branch services through a proposed A$153 million industry model. The push follows renewed pressure as the big banks’ moratorium on regional closures remains temporary. CBA says its regional branches will stay open until at least July 2027 and plans a A$100 million investment in its branch and ATM network this year.
April 26, 2026
NatWest Group Plc Buyback Sharpens Q1 Earnings Test for UK Bank Investors
···

NatWest Group Plc Buyback Sharpens Q1 Earnings Test for UK Bank Investors

NatWest bought back more shares for cancellation last week under its ongoing repurchase programme, a regulatory filing showed Friday. The bank will report first-quarter results on May 1, with consensus forecasts putting net interest income at £3.41 billion and operating profit before tax at £1.94 billion. Barclays, Lloyds, and Standard Chartered report earlier in the week.
April 25, 2026
HSBC Holdings Calls HK$1.5 Billion, €2 Billion Notes Before Earnings Test
···

HSBC Holdings Calls HK$1.5 Billion, €2 Billion Notes Before Earnings Test

HSBC will redeem HK$1.5 billion of 1.55% notes and €2 billion of fixed-to-floating-rate notes due 2027 in June, cancelling their London listings, according to a filing. The move comes less than two weeks before HSBC’s first-quarter earnings on May 5. The bank did not give a separate reason for the early redemption. Investors are watching capital levels and future buyback plans.
April 25, 2026
ANZ Group Holdings Hires First AI Chief From HSBC as Australia’s Bank Tech Race Tightens
···

ANZ Group Holdings Hires First AI Chief From HSBC as Australia’s Bank Tech Race Tightens

ANZ Group has appointed Kai Yang, formerly HSBC’s chief data and analytics officer for Asia and the Middle East, as its first chief data and AI officer. Yang will start in Sydney in July, reporting to group CIO Donald Patra. The move comes days before ANZ’s half-year results and follows CEO Nuno Matos’ efforts to overhaul technology and risk management. HSBC confirmed Yang’s departure was for family reasons.
April 25, 2026
Westpac Banking Corporation Raises Mortgage Rates Again Before Crucial RBA Call
···

Westpac Banking Corporation Raises Mortgage Rates Again Before Crucial RBA Call

Westpac raised fixed home-loan rates by 15 basis points to a minimum of 6.29%, the second hike in three weeks, citing higher funding and inflation risk. The bank also increased term deposit rates, with a 24-month offer up to 5.20%. More than 90% of lenders have lifted at least one fixed rate since the Reserve Bank’s March decision. Westpac shares closed at A$39.01 on Friday, down 0.28%.
April 24, 2026
National Australia Bank Settles Federal Court Fight, but Credit Costs Are the Bigger Test
···

National Australia Bank Settles Federal Court Fight, but Credit Costs Are the Bigger Test

National Australia Bank and the Finance Sector Union settled a Federal Court case over excessive work hours, with no admission of liability. The deal gives NAB workers new protections against unreasonable hours and union oversight. NAB is due to report first-half results May 4 and expects A$706 million in credit impairment charges. The ASX cash market is closed for Anzac Day; NAB last traded at A$40.08.
April 24, 2026
Commonwealth Bank Job Cuts: Why CBA’s AI Push Is Hitting Bankwest Now
···

Commonwealth Bank Job Cuts: Why CBA’s AI Push Is Hitting Bankwest Now

Commonwealth Bank of Australia plans to cut about 119 jobs, including 43 at Bankwest, amid increased use of automation and artificial intelligence. The Finance Sector Union said six roles were directly impacted by automation and warned of further job losses. CBA has not formally announced the cuts but said its workforce grew by 2,500 in 2025. The bank recently deployed an AI system to detect payment fraud.
April 24, 2026
Standard Chartered’s $2 Billion India Energy Mandate Puts StanChart Back in the Deal Spotlight
···

Standard Chartered’s $2 Billion India Energy Mandate Puts StanChart Back in the Deal Spotlight

Standard Chartered Bank has been appointed by Actis to advise on the sale of BluPine Energy, an Indian renewable energy platform valued at around $2 billion, according to The Economic Times. BluPine has about 4 GW of capacity. Standard Chartered also bought 832,000 of its own shares on April 23 as part of an ongoing buyback. Its shares closed down 0.82% in London on Friday.
April 24, 2026
NatWest Group plc’s Big Startup Banking Push Lands Before a Q1 Profit Test
···

NatWest Group plc’s Big Startup Banking Push Lands Before a Q1 Profit Test

NatWest Group has launched a venture banking arm aimed at high-growth UK companies, partnering with Amazon Web Services. The move comes days before NatWest reports first-quarter results on May 1, with Citi forecasting pretax profit about 7% above consensus. Company-compiled consensus expects net interest income of £3.41 billion and operating profit before tax of £1.94 billion. Barclays, Lloyds, and HSBC will report results in the same period.
April 24, 2026
Lloyds Banking Group Shares Slip as Buyback, Q1 Results and Car Finance Risk Put LLOY on Watch
···

Lloyds Banking Group Shares Slip as Buyback, Q1 Results and Car Finance Risk Put LLOY on Watch

Lloyds Banking Group repurchased 7.54 million shares Thursday for cancellation, extending its buyback as shares fell 1.23% Friday. The bank said it sees no need to adjust provisions after the FCA finalized a £7.5 billion motor finance redress scheme, but warned of ongoing uncertainty in costs and complaints. Lloyds reports first-quarter results April 29.
April 24, 2026
Barclays PLC Faces Fresh MFS Shock Days Before Q1 Results
···

Barclays PLC Faces Fresh MFS Shock Days Before Q1 Results

Barclays alleged in court that missing cash from collapsed lender Market Financial Solutions was “fraudulently circulated” through related firms, as it fought to keep funds in a frozen account tied to Banco Santander. Barclays is owed £495 million from its MFS exposure. The bank reports first-quarter results April 28, with investors watching for credit losses and private-credit risks. Barclays shares fell over 1% Friday amid broader UK bank declines.
April 24, 2026
1 2 3 4 5 … 9