London, Jan 10, 2026, 09:40 GMT — Market closed
- Lloyds ended Friday up 0.25% at 100.30 pence, just above the £1 mark
- UK inflation data is due on Jan 21, with the Bank of England’s next rate decision on Feb 5
- Lloyds is set to publish preliminary 2025 results on Jan 29
Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L) shares ended Friday up 0.25% at 100.30 pence, keeping the stock just above the £1 mark after a choppy session. The lender is up about 86% over the past year and traded between 99.46 and 101.95 pence on the day, according to Hargreaves Lansdown data. About 54.5 million shares changed hands.
The £1 handle has become a line in the sand for some traders after the run-up, and the stock has started to move in shorter bursts. Lloyds rose 1.16% on Thursday and sat about 1.67% below a 52-week high of £1.02, MarketWatch data showed.
Rate expectations sit at the centre of the debate for UK-focused lenders. A Bank of England survey showed firms trimmed wage and price growth expectations only slightly, leaving policymakers wary. “The Monetary Policy Committee will have to be cautious, so we are comfortable assuming only one more rate cut this year,” said Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. Reuters
UK consumer price inflation data for December is due on Jan 21, and it can reset bets on how quickly the BoE eases policy.
The BoE’s next policy decision is scheduled for Feb 5, its first rate call of 2026. Investors will pick through the minutes for any hint on how far and how fast rates could move.
For Lloyds, the closer marker is its preliminary results for 2025 on Jan 29. Traders will focus on net interest margin — the gap between what a bank earns on loans and pays on deposits — and whether the lender keeps room for capital returns.
But a quicker slide in rates would squeeze lending margins, while a softer UK economy could lift bad-debt charges. A separate overhang is a potential industry-wide redress bill linked to mis-sold car loans, which sources have said could run beyond regulators’ earlier estimates.
Next up are the Jan 21 inflation print and Lloyds’ Jan 29 results, with the BoE decision on Feb 5 close behind. Monday’s session will show whether the shares can hold above 100 pence without fresh company news.
