NatWest posts 12% profit rise to £2bn after £283m hit
Business
NatWest just posted a strong start to 2026, with profits up 12% to £2 billion, even after facing a possible £140 million fallout from the Middle East conflict.
This beat what analysts expected, but the bank also had to take a £283 million hit for potential future losses, almost half of it because of a reassessment of the economic forecast to reflect increased geopolitical risk and weaker equity markets.
NatWest cuts UK growth to 0.4%
Looking forward, NatWest thinks UK economic growth will slow down this year, now predicting just 0.4% GDP growth (half what was expected before).
They're also bracing for higher unemployment (up to 5.5%) and inflation at 3.5%.
For anyone eyeing the housing market: prices might rise slightly now but could drop later if things get tougher.