Member Info for StickyToffeePudd

Gunsup, lloyds and other high street banks disappearing from out high street is an inevitable consequence of new technology, cost saving and the decline of our town centres.

Gunsup, "Good thing / bad thing you decide."

That depends on who you are...

Lloyds

Branch / Location Date

Cheapside, Greater London June 1

West Byfleet, Surrey June 1

Staines, Surrey June 1

Norwich Aylsham Rd, Norfolk June 2

Birmingham Kingstanding, West Midlands June 3

Cardiff Victoria Park, Wales June 3

London Bridge, Greater London June 3

Birmingham Maypole, West Midlands June 4

Golders Green, Greater London June 8

Birkenhead, Merseyside June 8

Lymington, Hampshire June 8

Altrincham, Greater Manchester June 9

Crowborough, East Sussex June 9

Lancaster, Lancashire June 9

Southam, Warwickshire June 9

Hinckley, Leicestershire June 9

Birmingham Blackheath, West Midlands June 10

South Newington, Oxfordshire June 10

Wolverhampton Tettenhall, West Midlands June 11

Hull Ings Rd, East Yorkshire June 15

Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire June 15

Birmingham Bordesley Green, West Midlands June 16

Llangefni, Wales June 16

Wareham, Dorset June 16

Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire June 17

Woodley, Berkshire June 17

Sevenoaks, Kent June 18

Uttoxeter, Staffordshire June 18

Camberwell Green, Greater London June 22

Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire June 22

Kingswinford, West Midlands June 22

Aberdare, Wales June 22

Coalville, Leicestershire June 23

Heswall, Merseyside June 23*

Ringwood, Hampshire June 23*

Didcot, Oxfordshire June 24*

Newmarket, Suffolk June 24*

"Lloyds Banking Group is losing its title as the UK's largest retail branch network. Following a sweeping tranche of closures—including 95 locations across its Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland brands—the group will be left with 610 physical"

https://www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/2212593/lloyds-halifax-natwest-bank-scotland-close-banks

"The UK stock market is trading slightly upward today, recovering from geopolitical volatility earlier in the week. The blue-chip FTSE 100 Index is up 0.44% to 10,384.59 on Tuesday, rebounding from Monday’s close of 10,338.95. Additionaly, the mid-cap FTSE 250 Index has increased 0.91% to 23,456.48"

UK Stock Market Key Drivers

- Defensive Asset Rebound

- Commodity-Linked Insulation

- M&A Speculation

- Corporate Updates

Gold and silver...

You have it all here....

https://sundayguardianlive.com/business/uk-stock-market-today-ftse-100-ftse-250-up-by-044-091-respectively-while-ftse-350-slightly-drops-by-010-though-overall-uk-market-remains-strong-what-investors-should-watch-200084/

Now under the threat of closure.

Iran ​and ⁠its allies could “take steps ‌to activate other ​fronts, and equate ‌the traffic situation ⁠of the Bab ⁠El Mandeb Strait with ‌the ​Strait of Hormuz.”

This is in stark contrast to what Trump has being saying on Monday.

We continue to have complete discord between events in the middle east and the wider markets.

Time to watch the oil price closely as that's the best barometer of the ongoing tensions in the region.

Lloyds continues to hover around 100p, but if things kick off again it's down to the low 90s or worse for Lloyds!

The coming days will be interesting!

SUFCESSEX, I just spotted a flying pig out the window!

But lloyds have dipped below 100p again...

FTSE is also down about 1% also, so looking like a wider movement of stocks and just not lloyds alone.

Wider 'key takeaways'

EasyJet shares surged nearly 10% after Castlelake signalled takeover interest, though no formal approach has been made yet (theguardian.com)

Bluefield Solar Income Fund jumped 15.9% after Drax agreed a £561 million acquisition including dividend (marketscreener.com)

Manufacturers hiked prices in May at the fastest pace since June 2022 amid Iran‑related supply shocks, raising BoE rate‑watch concerns (wtvbam.com)

https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/ftse-indexes-kick-off-june-downbeat-note-easyjet-jumps/

Nail on the head Troajan!

" rose by around 3% to above $93 per barrel on Monday, rebounding from a six-week low as uncertainty persisted over a proposed US-Iran agreement to extend a ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Washington and Tehran continued exchanging messages over revisions to the draft deal, though there was little indication of a breakthrough. President Donald Trump said overnight that “it will all work out well in the end,” even as military activity continued on both sides. Iran also signaled that any agreement would need to include a truce in Lebanon, where Israel has expanded its largest ground operation in decades. Elsewhere, Ukraine intensified attacks on Russian refineries, while Moscow banned jet fuel exports through November to prevent domestic shortages. Despite recent volatility, oil prices remain roughly 30% higher than before the conflict began in late February."

Key point is we are keeping off the peaks we had for some months which were up and around $100 to $110 per barrel. However, it is still well above the $70

American attack on Iran level.

In the short to medium term I expect the stalemate to continue, so lloyds to continue to linger around 100p

https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/brent-crude-oil

"Shares in money transfer firm Wise have plummeted this morning as the fintech faces an investigation over allegations its accounts have been used for criminal activity."

All be it, 'Wise' is a 'Money Services Business'. in recent years banks have become quite proactive at clamping down on criminals using the banking network for illicit purposes.

https://www.cityam.com/wise-shares-plummet-as-money-transfer-firm-faces-fraud-investigation/

"That, to me, looks good enough to justify the current Lloyds valuation — with a forward price-to-earnings ratio of around 10. I don’t see it as likely to do much to the share price in the short term, mind."

"Lloyds could be getting on the AI bandwagon. Well, in a small way, at least.

That’s the kind of thing that could potentially push Lloyds shares up in the short term. In fact, the price has actually perked up in the last week. But Lloyds doesn’t seem likely to become a major player in financing AI infrastructure."

Lacklustre start to the week folks for lloyds!

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/where-might-lloyds-shares-june-131500999.html

Troajan, the UK bond markets are going from a period of high volatility to one of income generation and normalisation, with investors offered a steady income source. Obviously, it is not without its risks, with exposure to domestice/international events.

"What to watch: where uncertainty becomes visible

In periods like this, markets tend to filter political uncertainty into a small number of signals. Watching how these move together provides a clearer guide than headlines alone.

- Gilt yields: Government bond yields are often the first place where concerns about policy credibility appear. A sustained rise in yields, particularly relative to other markets, would suggest investors expect higher borrowing or weaker fiscal discipline. Stable yields, by contrast, indicate that uncertainty remains contained.

- Sterling: The currency reflects how international investors view the UK’s relative appeal. Periods of political uncertainty often show up quickly in sterling. Persistent weakness would signal declining confidence, while stability suggests markets are looking through near-term developments.

- Fiscal policy: Political developments matter most when they translate into policy decisions. Clarity on spending, taxation and borrowing is the point at which uncertainty either fades or becomes more significant for markets.

- Interest rate expectations: Changes in expected Bank of England policy bring these signals together. If markets begin to price higher rates, it may reflect concerns about inflation, borrowing or currency weakness. Stable expectations suggest that, despite uncertainty, the overall policy framework remains credible.

Taken together, these indicators show whether political uncertainty is becoming economically meaningful. Markets do not need certainty, but they do need confidence in the direction of policy."

https://brownshipley.com/en-gb/news-and-insights/uk-uncertainty-what-markets-are-telling-us

Why folks constantly feel the need to post updates on this forum about what they are doing in their private lives, like they are constantly seeking validation?

"Barclays reduced its rates across the board by as much as 0.43% on Friday, while NatWest lowered rates by up to 0.54%. Barclays' standout offer is its three-year fixed-rate mortgage for purchases at a 95% Loan to Value (LTV) ratio at 5.42%. Notably for NatWest, its two-year tracker rate remortgage for an 80% LTV has been cut to 4.42%."

"Mortgage experts said the easing of tensions in the Iran war has helped, but have warned that sentiment could change very quickly if it escalates again."

"This marks a significant shift in the market, with many lenders reducing some of their rates today. These widespread cuts are set to increase competition in the mortgage market as summer approaches, bringing welcome news for those planning to move in the coming months."

"Borrowing costs have fallen over the past month, leading to the reductions released today, and there is growing optimism that this trend will continue with further rate cuts expected in the near future."

Mood music is changing folks and for the better!

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/mortgage-rates-slashed-on-friday-by-2-major-high-street-banks-as-market-heats-up/ar-AA24kFSx?uxmode=ruby&ctsrc=dgst&ocid=edgntpruby&pc=U531&cvid=6a1a13b0bc764705ab34db049a4ca127&ei=42

Skier, you logic is all messed up!

Iran wasn't attacking either the US or Europe and had no plans to do so and Iran didn't start the war!

Troajan, there sure there are similarities like the frantic Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), and investors aggressively buying into a future narrative. But this time it's established tech giants with healthy balance sheets backing these AI companies as opposed to dot com who effectively has little more than a business plan, crazy valuation multiples and duly folded.

Ultimately it will go the way of all bubbles Troajan!

As anticipated I see a slight delay in the rocketing stock markets until next week.

Fell about 2% to $91.2 per barrel on Friday, the lowest in roughly six weeks, putting them on track for a 17% decline in May, the most since 2020. The move followed reports that the US and Iran have reached a preliminary agreement to extend a ceasefire and ease restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, although President Donald Trump has not yet approved the deal and Iranian state media said it has not been finalized. The potential agreement has raised expectations of an eventual end to the US-Israeli war in Iran and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for about one-fifth of global oil and LNG flows. Analysts warn that any recovery in flows would likely be slow, as mines would need clearing, damaged infrastructure repaired and shut-in production restarted, with tanker delays also limiting supply restoration.

Dietch666, I guess you didn't study physics then?