This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Australia Pty Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients.
Lloyds Banking Group (LON:LLOY) is expected to publish an ‘uneventful set of numbers’ in its third quarter (Q3) earnings report on Thursday, according to a note by UBS analysts.
Analysts at the Swiss investment bank estimate Lloyds will report pre-tax profit of nearly £1.96 billion, which will represent a slight decline to the £2.08 billion the bank generated during the same period a year ago.
‘LBG is, in our view, an undervalued, strongly capital generative bank, operating with a cost advantage in a competitive market and with decent medium-term growth opportunities in lending, savings, investments and general insurance,’ UBS analysts said.
Lloyds-Schroders £80 billion wealth management tie-up
Most analysts say that there will unlikely be further PPI provisions this quarter, with the bank likely to stress its wealth management proposition after it announced its £80 billion tie-up with wealth manager Schroders on Tuesday.
Under the new agreement, Lloyds will transfer the bulk of its £109 billion in assets to Schroders, with the two looking to launch a joint venture that will offer financial planning and retirement services to its wealthier customers.
The deal will see Lloyds gain access to Schroders superior technology platform and financial advisers, while the wealth manager will be able to reach a much larger set of customers.
Lloyds plans £2 billion share buyback
The UK lender is expected to announce plans for a £2 billion share buyback scheme in its results on Thursday, according to a report by the Financial Times.
If true, the news is a sign that its management is confident in the direction the bank is heading at a time when the UK economy faces a myriad of economic headwinds and ongoing uncertainty surrounding Brexit.
The bank is also likely to reveal further restructuring plans, with Lloyds looking to close down a number of its high-street branches and deploy the capital saved into investing in further digitisation efforts at the bank.