London, June 12, 2026, 10:03 BST
- Lloyds Banking Group shares traded at about 101.25p to 101.30p, up roughly 3.1%. The FTSE 100 was in positive territory too.
- The bank said in its latest RNS it bought back another 5 million shares for cancellation on June 11.
- Lloyds and Halifax are back in focus as investors weigh up capital returns, strong Q1 numbers, and new branch closure plans.
Lloyds Banking Group plc jumped in London trading. The LLOY ticker was bid at 101.25p and offered at 101.30p, gaining 3.04p or 3.10%, Hargreaves Lansdown data showed. ADVFN’s numbers matched, putting the stock at 101.25p, up 3.15%. Market cap just shy of £59 billion, with the 52-week range between 72.86p and 114.55p.
Banks joined a wider bounce in markets. Reuters said European stocks moved higher Friday, with Brent crude sliding over 2% on signs of a possible diplomatic deal in the Middle East. The STOXX 600 gained 1.2%, while European bank shares rose 2.3% early. UK financials had already pushed the FTSE 100 up Thursday, with Reuters reporting the index ended 0.5% higher at 10,303.9.
Lloyds got a lift from its capital return efforts. The bank said in a June 11 filing it bought 5,000,000 ordinary shares from Goldman Sachs International, paying an average of 98.1064p per share. The trades ranged from 97.2400p up to 98.6600p. Lloyds said this was part of its ongoing share buyback plan and it aims to cancel the stock.
The buyback comes as Lloyds posts better earnings. Statutory profit before tax for the first quarter hit £2.0 billion, up from £1.5 billion a year ago. Underlying net interest income climbed 8% to £3.6 billion. The bank’s net interest margin moved up to 3.17%. Chief Executive Charlie Nunn said Lloyds had shown “sustained strength in financial performance” and was “confident in our delivery for the year ahead.” EQS News
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland will close at least 247 branches in 2026 and 2027, according to MoneySavingExpert, after the banks on Wednesday, June 10, announced another 79 closures—31 at Lloyds and 48 at Halifax. The outlet said customers will have other options, like other group branches, banking hubs, community bankers and Post Office services.
Lloyds said this week that Danuta Gray will join as a non-executive director of the group and take over as chair and non-executive director at Scottish Widows Group starting July 1. Group Chair Sir Robin Budenberg called Gray “a very experienced non-executive director and chair” and cited her banking and insurance background. That’s in focus for investors watching Lloyds’ expansion outside its main lending business into insurance, pensions and wealth. ADVFN
Lloyds shares face another test with the UK rates outlook. The Bank of England left its Bank Rate at 3.75%, and the next call is June 18. Reuters said Britain’s economy shrank 0.1% in April. Lloyds is guiding for underlying net interest income over £14.9 billion and return on tangible equity above 16% for 2026. More strategy details come with its half-year numbers July 30.
