Virgin Money eats up mortgage market share as lending rises May 1, 2015 The figures Virgin Money delivered a rise in mortgage lending and ate up a larger chunk of market share during the first quarter, cementing its position as one of the UK's fastest growing challenger banks. The lender said it enjoyed a 34 per cent rise in gross mortgage lending to £1.6bn at a time when [...]
TSB boss Paul Pester eyes up acquiring other challenger banks April 30, 2015 TSB, the self-styled challenger bank spun-off from Lloyds last year, could gobble up its competition if the bank's boss has his way. Paul Pester wants to "take on the big guys" and would consider buying up other challenger banks to make that happen. "We are Britain's biggest challenger bank, but we want to really take [...]
RBS spin-off Williams & Glyn loses chief executive John Maltby ahead of IPO April 28, 2015 Williams & Glyn, the challenger bank being carved out from RBS as a condition of the latter's bailout during the financial crisis, has lost its chief executive before it has even launched. John Maltby will be replaced by Jim Brown, currently chief executive of Ulster Bank. Maltby will take up his former role [...]
Challenger bank Cambridge and Counties swings to profit in just its second year trading April 27, 2015 Challenger bank Cambridge and Counties delivered a pre-tax profit of £4.1m in 2014, compared to a loss of £99,000 when it was set up in the previous year. It was established by the University of Cambridge’s Trinity Hall and Cambridgeshire Local Government Pension Fund, using their large asset base to set up a small business-focused lender. Its [...]
Metro Bank is the latest challenger bank to eye London float April 19, 2015 The battle between the "big four" high street lenders and the challengers banks just ratcheted up a notch. New kid on the block Metro Bank is eyeing a £1bn initial public offering on the London stockmarket next year, according to the Telegraph. This comes just five years after it emerged to shake-up Britain's banking landscape. [...]
Billionaire backers Wilbur Ross and Stanhope Investments cut Virgin Money stake April 14, 2015 Billionaire investors Wilbur Ross and Stanhope Investments last night cut their stake in high street bank Virgin Money by selling $354m (£240m) of shares in the Richard Branson-backed venture. The bank, which floated last November by raising £500m, valuing the business at £1.25bn, is co-owned by US investor Ross and Abu Dhabi-based fund Stanhope alongside [...]
Atom Bank raising £75m before launch April 8, 2015 Atom Bank is raising £75m from investors as it prepares to gain its full licence and launch this year. The Durham-based challenger bank plans to be the first fully digital lender, operating predominantly via mobile apps. The licensing process runs in two stages, allowing banks to gain partial authorisation, helping it to hire more staff [...]
Challenger bank Shawbrook prices shares at top of range on IPO April 1, 2015 Challenger bank Shawbrook may be late to the IPO party, but that hasn't prevented it from getting its flotation off to a running start, after it priced shares at 290p each, near the top of its range of 255p-305p on its first day of conditional trading. The pricing valued the bank at £725m, raising £90m [...]
Challenger bank Shawbrook’s float succeeds as it covers books March 24, 2015 SHAWBROOK Bank has covered the books in its stock market flotation, successfully attracting enough institutional investors into its shares, City A.M. understands. The challenger is raising £90m in new funds, and is selling a 25 per cent stake, plus an over-allotment option. It follows stock market debuts from Aldermore earlier this month, and from Virgin [...]
TSB share price opens higher as Lloyds accepts £1.7bn takeover offer from Banco de Sabadell March 20, 2015 Shares in TSB opened 1.6 per cent higher at 332.47p this morning after its majority owner, Lloyds, have accepted a £1.7bn takeover offer from Spanish rival Banco de Sabadell. Shares in the challenger bank leapt 27 per cent last week, after TSB issued an announcement suggesting it was "willing to recommend" Sabadell's 340p-per-share offer – [...]