London, Feb 17, 2026, 08:03 GMT — Regular session
- NatWest was unchanged at 607.8 pence in early trading, holding steady after jumping sharply on Monday.
- The lender kicked off a share buyback program worth up to £750 million, with plans to continue it through 2027.
- UK inflation figures land Feb. 18—next up for traders eyeing rate cuts and their impact on bank shares.
NatWest Group Plc’s stock held steady at 607.8 pence in early London action Tuesday. The bank has begun its latest share buyback programme.
This step stands out right now: buybacks hand cash straight to shareholders and help boost earnings per share by pulling down the share count — crucial for UK bank trades, especially when there’s not much else driving things day to day.
It comes as investors shift gears in the banking sector following a rocky run for European financial stocks. NatWest and other lenders bounced back in the last session.
NatWest, in a Feb. 16 regulatory filing, outlined a share buyback programme capped at £750 million, with an end date set for Jan. 15, 2027. If trading is disrupted, that deadline could stretch to Feb. 12, 2027. The bank tapped UBS AG, London Branch, to handle the purchases following non-discretionary instructions. NatWest plans to cancel all repurchased shares.
NatWest shares rallied roughly 4.8% Monday, finishing at 607.8 pence—an advance that beat the wider market. Still, the stock hasn’t climbed back to its early-February highs.
Broker sentiment has shifted a bit, with some analysts getting more upbeat. Robert Noble at Deutsche Bank described NatWest’s latest results as a “decent beat.” Still, he pointed out the low end of the bank’s 2026 revenue guidance “may concern some,” according to a report out Monday. Proactiveinvestors UK
This week, broader macro trends could overshadow individual bank news. According to a Reuters poll out Monday, most economists anticipate the Bank of England will lower the Bank Rate by 25 basis points—down a quarter-point—on March 19. Deutsche Bank’s Sanjay Raja summed it up: “We stick to our call for the next Bank Rate cut to come in March.” Reuters
UK consumer price inflation figures land Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 0700 GMT—a data drop traders are eyeing to pressure-test those rate-cut bets.
There’s a clear risk here: hotter-than-expected inflation can swiftly knock rate-cut bets off course, sending bank stock valuations lower. And if volatility jumps, buybacks could slow or even pause — not exactly a morale booster for investors.
NatWest’s focus right now? Signs that its buyback is actually moving the needle, plus the latest inflation data due Wednesday—which could sway market expectations for UK rates. The Bank of England sets rates again on March 19.
