Banking 12 March 2026 - 25 March 2026

NatWest Group shares edged lower Tuesday, last seen at 524.8 pence just before 14:00 GMT—down from a 531.8p open—as sellers hung around UK bank stocks amid new concerns over inflation and growth linked to Middle East turmoil. NatWest moved between 521.2p and 532.0p. This shift is notable: NatWest leans heavily on the UK market, and the day delivered a gloomier snapshot at home. Traders have now baked in two quarter-point Bank of England rate hikes for this year. Adding to the cautious mood, the latest purchasing managers’ index—a gauge of business activity—just posted its weakest British growth figure in half a year.

Barclays slipped 1.23% to 377.55 pence as of 1325 GMT on Tuesday, following word from Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority that details on handling compensation tied to the motor-finance mis-selling scandal are coming next week. Trading volume at that point topped 11.1 million shares, Investing.com data showed. The timing is key, with Barclays counted among lenders facing possible exposure. The FCA said it plans to outline its redress plans — the regulator’s term for compensation — right after markets shut on March 30. Reuters previously reported that, back in October, the watchdog floated an 11 billion pound bill for the industry, after accusing lenders and brokers of failing to disclose commissions and dealer relationships. Earlier this month, the FCA signaled any

Standard Chartered managed to eke out a 0.07% gain to 1,518.5 pence on Friday, one of the rare FTSE 100 names finishing higher. Shares had climbed as much as 1.8% earlier before losing steam, following a Singapore court ruling against the bank over 1MDB-linked assets. This shift lands at a busy moment for the Asia- and Africa-focused lender, which is dealing with multiple moving parts. Shares went ex-dividend on Thursday — so investors picking up new stock now miss out on the latest payout — after the bank announced a final 49 U.S.-cent dividend for 2025. Thursday’s Bank of England call has also put the possibility of higher UK rates back on the table.

ANZ Group Holdings shares slipped 1.07% to A$37.13 on Wednesday, underperforming an Australian market that ended up 0.31%. Investors weighed the bank’s decision to reprice mortgage products in the wake of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s recent rate hike. The stock moved in a range from A$36.60 to A$37.25. ANZ had been surging since its first-quarter cash profit topped expectations, driving the stock to a record in February. But now the RBA’s 25-basis-point hike — a quarter-point, bringing the cash rate to 4.10% after a close 5-4 vote — puts the spotlight on whether rising rates will pad bank revenue or start squeezing loan demand and fueling bad debts.

HSBC Holdings Plc’s New York shares climbed 1.3% to $81.38 on Tuesday, following a Bloomberg News report that the bank is looking to raise at least $1 billion in additional tier 1, or AT1, dollar bonds. These AT1 notes, considered the most junior rung of bank capital, are intended to take losses if the lender faces financial stress. This is notable: HSBC has effectively become a barometer for Gulf-related risk. Last week, JPMorgan flagged HSBC and Standard Chartered as the top European banks with Middle East exposure. For HSBC specifically, regional lending stands at approximately $23 billion, making up near 2% of its overall loan book.

National Australia Bank closed out Monday at A$47.06, sitting just shy of its all-time high of A$47.96 set following last month’s Q1 update. Investors now turn their attention to Tuesday’s Reserve Bank of Australia call. Timing is key here: money markets now put the odds of a quarter-point RBA hike this week at about 72%, following the surge in oil prices above $100 a barrel as the Middle East conflict stirs up inflation worries again. For bank stocks, it’s the expected rate move that’s holding the steering wheel in the near term.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia shares picked up 1.02% to finish at A$175.53 on Monday, March 16, marking their strongest close in over two weeks. Investors gravitated toward rate-sensitive banks despite the broader market weakness, with the S&P/ASX 200 slipping 0.4% as traders braced for the Reserve Bank of Australia’s policy decision. CBA’s strength stood out, propping up some of the slack as miners dragged the Australian market down on softer commodity prices. The Australian bank giant’s move carries weight—not least because traders are watching the country this week, which looks set to diverge from global peers as central banks meet. According to Reuters, 23 out of 30 economists anticipate the RBA will hike rates on Tuesday.