Britain's Close Brothers to cut 20% of staff as compensation costs bite

* Close Brothers to cut 600 jobs by 2027

* Short seller Viceroy ​says bank ⁠misrepresented compensation costs

* Shares fall as much as 9.7%, top ​loser on FTSE 250 index

* Reports statutory pretax loss of 65.5 million pounds (Adds share move in paragraph 2, CEO comment in paragraph 5 and 11, analyst ​comment ‌in paragraph 6, details throughout)

March 17 (Reuters) - Close Brothers, grappling with costs stemming from one of the UK's most expensive mis-selling scandals, ⁠will cut around a fifth of its workforce by 2027, it said ⁠on Tuesday as short-seller pressure helped send its ​shares plummeting.

The British specialist lender's stock plunged around 10% to their lowest level since June 2025 in morning trade, extending a 14% drop on Monday when short seller Viceroy Research said it had taken a short position.

Viceroy alleged Close Brothers "systematically misrepresented" its exposure ​to the ‌Financial Conduct Authority's planned redress scheme for millions of consumers given unfair motor loans between 2007 and 2024.

Viceroy's report alleged the bank could breach its regulatory capital limits when it accounts for the full cost of reimbursing customers affected by the motor finance scandal.

"We strongly, strongly disagree with it," Close Brothers Chief Executive Mike Morgan said of the report in an ​interview with Reuters. "We have robust governance, and clearly there's oversight from both internal and external organisations. We operate to the highest standards."

Benjamin ‌Toms, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets who has covered the motor finance scandal extensively, said the Viceroy report was "sensationalist, due to the impact study being built on five modelling ‌inaccuracies".

GETTING RETURNS BACK IN DOUBLE DIGITS

Close Brothers' shares have fallen 58% since January 2024, when the FCA launched its review into past motor finance commissions arrangements.

The bank's outstanding bonds, due 2030, have fallen from 86 to 83 pence since February 27 ​but did not change meaningfully in price on Tuesday.

To shore up its capital position, the FTSE 250-listed company has curtailed lending, sold its wealth ‌business, suspended dividends and reduced operating expenses in recent years.

"We are not just going to stop at this. We want to get our returns back up into double digits, and that's what we are guiding to by 2028," Morgan told Reuters.

Close Brothers, which ⁠employs about ⁠3,000 people across the UK and Ireland, said it plans to cut 200 jobs ‌this year and further reduce headcount by 400 next year.

The FCA is expected to update the market by the end of this month on the ​final rules of its compensation ​scheme.

CEO Morgan added that the lender needs additional clarity on the redress scheme before ‌reinstating its dividend. Close Brothers on Tuesday reported a statutory loss before tax of 65.5 million pounds ($87.19 million) in the six months to January 31, reflecting the additional 135-million-pound motor finance provision it took in October.

Close Bros