NWG Stock Recent News

Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LSE:LLOY) reports second-quarter results next Thursday, 24 July, with NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG) following on Friday, 25 July, with the City analyst consensus pointing to growing profits at both.   Consensus forecasts compiled by the company are for £4.5 billion of net income, up from the £4.4 billion in the first quarter.

Deciding which of Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LSE:LLOY) and NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG) is the more profitable bank is "the ultimate question" for City philosophers, said analysts at Keefe, Bruyette and Woods.  In a substantial document devoted to answering this question -- acknowledging that greater philosophers and scientists have pondered the ultimate question of life, from Socrates's examination of wisdom and virtue, to Einstein's betterment of humanity and Deep Thought mulling of the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything -- the US broker ended up upgrading its target prices for both lenders.

NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG) has raised €126 million by selling its stake in Permanent TSB Group, an Irish retail and small business lender, in a placing with institutional investors.   The 11.7% stake was disposed of at a placing price of €1.98 per share.

NatWest Group said on Monday it intends to exit its interest in Permanent TSB Group by selling about 63.6 million shares in the Irish bank.

UK banks have had their fair share of in-flight turbulence, but analysts still see them heading for a stable landing. According to UBS, domestic lenders have largely closed the gap with their European peers in terms of valuation, and the outlook remains constructive despite some short-term headwinds.

UBS has reiterated its positive stance on UK banks, arguing that the sector is poised to re-rate as macroeconomic conditions stabilise and interest rate fears ease. The investment bank maintains an overweight position on UK domestic lenders, noting that they combine modest valuations with some of the strongest forecast returns in the European banking landscape.

The U.S. stock market stumbled near all-time highs last week, prompting investors to review the landscape. With conflicts brewing overseas and economic data beginning to weaken, it might be time to once again focus on income over capital appreciation.

Saga PLC (LSE:SAGA) reported smooth sailing at the start of 2025, with trading "on track" with expectations in the first four months of its financial year, and a new partnership lined up with NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG). The group's ocean and river cruise divisions have performed strongly, with boats 95% and 93% full respectively, both ahead of the same period last year.

British holiday group Saga said on Tuesday it was in final negotiations with NatWest to offer a range of personal banking products, as the company's annual holiday bookings tracked ahead of last year, with booked revenue up 14%.

JPMorgan has reiterated its preference for Barclays PLC (LSE:BARC) and NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG) over Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LSE:LLOY), highlighting key divergences in performance driven by shifting margins and evolving market dynamics. The investment bank underscores Barclays and NatWest as "overweight" recommendations, with Barclays notably termed "the cheapest bank in Europe".