Govt’s stake in NatWest dips below 30%

The Government’s stake in NatWest has dropped to below 30% for the first time since the bank was bailed out during the 2008 financial crisis.

A stock exchange announcement has confirmed that the Treasury’s stake in the bank, which also owns Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Coutts, now stands at 29.8%, down by just over one percentage point from 31%.

Sky News reported that the Government’s stake in NatWest is now worth just under £7bn.

The reduction to below 30% means that the Government is also no longer classed as the controlling shareholder in NatWest under UK listing rules.

NatWest was nationalised during the financial crisis, when a £46bn bailout left the Government with an 84% stake in the company, which at the time was known as the RBS Group.

Since then, the Government has been gradually reducing its shareholding in the bank, although NatWest earlier this year stated that the sale of its shares to the public could happen as soon as June.

Shares have so far been sold to institutional investors and back to NatWest itself, but UK Government Investments (UKGI), the group responsible for Government investments, has been exploring a share sale since the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, confirmed the plans in his Autumn Budget last year.

Hunt reaffirmed these plans in the Spring Budget earlier this month as part of a move to return NatWest to private ownership by 2026.



Share Story:

Recent Stories


FREE E-NEWS SIGN UP

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive breaking news and other industry announcements by email.

  Please tick here to confirm you are happy to receive third party promotions from carefully selected partners.


Helping the credit challenged get mortgage ready
A rising number of borrowers are finding it harder to access mortgages due to being credit challenged - whether that’s from historic debts, a county court judgment, or having little to no credit history.

In the latest episode of the Mortgage Insider podcast, Phil Spencer is joined by Eloise Hall, Head of National Accounts at Kensington Mortgages, and Alastair Douglas, CEO of TotallyMoney.


Inside the world of high net worth lending
The mortgage market continues to evolve, and so too does the answer to the question: what is a high net worth individual in today’s market? In this episode of the Mortgage Insider podcast, host Phil Spencer is joined by Stephen Moroukian, Head of Product and Proposition for Real Estate Financing at Barclays Private Bank, and Islay Robinson, founder and CEO of Enness Global. Together, they explore what brokers really need to know when supporting high net worth individuals.

The future of the bridging industry and the Autumn Budget
MoneyAge content editor, Dan McGrath, is joined by head of marketing at Black & White Bridging, Matt Horton, to discuss the bridging industry, the impact of the Autumn Budget and what the future holds for the sector.