London, Jan 14, 2026, 08:07 GMT — Regular session
- NatWest shares rose about 0.2% in early London trade.
- NatWest disclosed a fresh tranche of share repurchases under its buyback programme.
- Investors are looking to Feb. 13 annual results for 2026 guidance and new targets.
NatWest Group Plc shares NWG.L were up 0.2% at 630.0 pence by 0801 GMT, moving in a tight 629.6p–631.4p range. Lloyds Banking Group was up about 0.1% and Barclays added 0.4%.
The early nudge higher follows a 1.8% drop on Tuesday, when NatWest underperformed as the FTSE 100 ended little changed. The stock is still about 6.7% below its 52-week high of 6.74 pounds hit on Jan. 6.
NatWest said it bought back 845,398 ordinary shares on Jan. 13 at a volume-weighted average price of 630.81 pence, paying between 625.20 pence and 644.00 pence, a filing showed. The purchases were made through Merrill Lynch International (BofA) and the bank said it intended to cancel the shares, trimming the share count.
The bank also flagged board changes. Non-executive director Yasmin Jetha will retire on March 31 and Albert Hitchcock will join as an independent non-executive director on Feb. 16, NatWest said. “Albert brings over 30 years’ expertise across technology, cyber and AI,” chair Rick Haythornthwaite said.
The next big catalyst is the annual results package. NatWest will release Annual Results at 7 a.m. GMT on Friday Feb. 13, followed by a management presentation at 9 a.m. GMT and a fixed income presentation at 1:30 p.m. GMT, it said.
NatWest has already told investors it will set out guidance for 2026 and new targets for 2028 alongside those full-year numbers. That shifts attention to the outlook and any changes in how the bank frames returns and capital needs.
In New York, NatWest’s U.S.-listed shares were down about 2.2% at $16.96 in after-hours trade, offering a softer line into the London session.
Buybacks can be an easy read for investors: the bank uses capital to repurchase stock and then cancels it, reducing the number of shares outstanding and lifting per-share metrics if profits hold up.
But the downside case sits in the rate and credit backdrop. Faster-than-expected cuts in Bank of England rates can squeeze net interest margin — the spread between what a bank earns on loans and pays on deposits — and a weaker economy can push impairments higher.
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