NatWestNYSE: NWG

Referring to NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG)'s simplification plans under new CEO Paul Thwaite, investment bank Keefe Bruyette & Woods (KBW) concluded that "executing this dream may prove more difficult than the spreadsheet suggests". During a presentation to KBW's sales force, NatWest emphasised its transition from extensive restructuring to focusing on routine business operations.

NatWest (NWG) inks a deal to acquire the retail banking assets and liabilities of Sainsbury's Bank. This will strengthen its market presence and add scale.

Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LSE:LLOY) rating was unchanged by RBC whilst its analyst team lifted its sights for NatWest Group – with the price target moving to 360p from 355p. NatWest, which this week was paid to make an acquisition, is benefiting from a better-than-expected net income environment, according to RBC, which pointed to the UK banking sector seeing ‘some growth in deposits' and a ‘further slowdown in migration to interest-bearing accounts'.

NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG)'s acquisition of Sainsbury's financial assets - a deal in which the bank was paid £125 million - will have a positive impact on profitability and NatWest's balance sheet. According to Shore Capital NWG's core tier-one ratio (the buffer it keeps in case of a downturn in the markets) will improve by 20 basis points while the transaction will also be accretive to both earnings and return on capital employed.

NatWest Group, one of the largest banks in the U.K., has announced its acquisition of the banking business of Sainsbury's, the second-largest grocer in the country. The deal, worth £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion), will increase NatWest's assets and customer accounts, aligning with the bank's strategy to expand its retail banking operations.

After J Sainsbury PLC (LSE:SBRY) agreed to pay NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG) £125 million to take over the core assets and liabilities of Sainsbury's Bank for a £125 million payment, analysts said it was a good first deal for the lender's new chief executive. NatWest said it expects to add around £2.5 billion of gross customer assets, with roughly one million new customer accounts, making a positive impact on earnings per share and return on tangible equity, with a small hit to its CET1 capital ratio once the transition is completed in the first half of 2025.

National Westminster Bank Group (NatWest) announced on Thursday its decision to acquire Sainsbury's Bank's retail banking assets, a deal valued at approximately £2.5 billion. This significant acquisition includes unsecured personal loans and liabilities, marking a strategic move for NatWest to bolster its retail banking presence in the UK.

Natwest Group PLC has struck a deal to buy most of Sainsbury's Bank from J Sainsbury PLC (LSE:SBRY), namely its credit cards, personal loans and saving account businesses.  Customers are expected to be transferred in the first half of next year.

Of the five FTSE 100 banks, domestic lenders are preferred to their Asia-focused peers by analyst Jonathan Pierce at Deutsche Numis Research, with Lloyds Banking Group PLC his top pick in the sector. In a note to clients today as he assumes coverage for the London's five blue-chip banks, Pierce says: "The outlook for bank earnings, capital generation and book value, particularly in the context of future reductions in short rates, is a critical part of any investment thesis right now.