Interactive Investor

Bank sector results preview: the profits league table

10th February 2022 11:46

Lee Wild from interactive investor

UK banks begin reporting annual results next week. Here’s how much the analysts expect each of the Big Five made in 2021.

Bank have come a long way since the dark days of 2008. Fourteen years ago, the sector was on the brink of collapse. Some lenders didn’t survive, others did by the skin of their teeth and with massive government assistance. Those that made it either saw profits collapse, or lost money.

Subsequent years saw the industry pay billions in fines for any number of misdemeanours and absorb hefty impairment charges. But action taken by regulators and the banks themselves have repaired broken balance sheets and created more robust businesses better able to handle a crisis.

A look at profits being made by the Big Five listed UK banks is evidence of progress made. But while profits in recent years appear eye-popping, they are likely to be dwarfed by results for 2021.

With Standard Chartered (LSE:STAN) due to kick off the UK banking sector’s earnings season on 17 February, we’ve ranked the banks in order of profitability in 2020 to create a league table. We’ve also added what analysts think they made in 2021.

We’ll update the table below when Lloyds Bank (LSE:LLOY) brings proceedings to an end on 24 February.

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