NatWest Group bids for Evelyn Partners amid market decline
NatWest Group PLC's stock fell by 5.91% as it crossed below the 5-day SMA, reflecting broader market weakness with the Nasdaq-100 down 1.70% and S&P 500 down 1.46%.
The decline comes despite news that NatWest is expected to formally submit a bid for wealth management firm Evelyn Partners, alongside Barclays, with both banks offering over £2 billion. This acquisition could significantly enhance their market position, managing approximately £65 billion in assets, although uncertainty remains with potential competitors like the Royal Bank of Canada.
This bidding activity highlights NatWest's strategic interest in expanding its wealth management services, which could provide long-term benefits despite the current stock decline.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Analyst Views on NWG
About NWG
About the author
NatWest Partners with Rightmove for Mortgage Innovation
- Strategic Partnership Launch: NatWest Group announced an exclusive mortgage partnership with Rightmove, set to begin in April, aimed at providing users with mortgage affordability insights to help homebuyers understand their borrowing potential early in their property search, thereby enhancing customer decision-making capabilities.
- Service Digitization Enhancement: The collaboration will integrate NatWest's Mortgage in Principle service with Rightmove's existing affordability tools, aiming to accelerate and digitize the UK home-moving process, making the search experience more efficient for buyers.
- Customer Support Mechanism: Users applying through Rightmove will receive NatWest's digital mortgage decisions in principle, with eligible customers potentially receiving a full mortgage offer within 24 hours of applying online, ensuring timely financial support for homebuyers.
- Market Positioning and Commitment: As the UK's third-largest mortgage lender, NatWest is committed to assisting first-time buyers through initiatives like the Family Backed Mortgage and Shared Ownership Mortgage, with plans to lend £10 billion to first-time buyers by 2026, further enhancing its competitive edge in the market.
Barclays and NatWest Expected to Bid for Evelyn Partners
- Bidding Activity: Barclays and NatWest are expected to formally submit bids for wealth management firm Evelyn Partners on Thursday, indicating strong interest in the wealth management sector.
- Bid Scale: Both banks are offering over £2 billion for a firm that manages approximately £65 billion in assets, which would significantly enhance their market position if successful.
- Potential Competitors: Although the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is speculated to be linked to the auction, it remains unclear whether they will submit a bid, adding uncertainty to the competitive landscape.
- Shareholder Background: Evelyn Partners is owned by private equity firms Permira and Warburg Pincus, and this acquisition could impact their future strategic direction and investment decisions.
NatWest Group Raises 2025 Income Guidance to £16.3 Billion
- Guidance Upgrade: NatWest Group has raised its 2025 income guidance to £16.3 billion, indicating strong confidence in future revenue growth and ongoing capital return capabilities.
- Buyback Completion: The bank has completed a buyback of 71.1 million shares, representing 0.88% of its share capital for £374.29 million, demonstrating proactive capital management efforts.
- Slight Fair Value Increase: The fair value for NatWest has been modestly adjusted from 6.60x to 6.63x, reflecting a slight enhancement in market recognition of its intrinsic value, even as the discount rate has increased to 8.45%.
- Analyst Target Upgrades: Analysts from Citi, JPMorgan, and RBC have raised their price targets for NatWest, reflecting growing recognition of its long-term earnings power, although some maintain neutral ratings to address potential risks.
Willis Towers Watson Reveals Deal to Purchase Cushon from NatWest
Acquisition Announcement: Willis Towers Watson (WTW) has announced the acquisition of the workplace retirement schemes platform Cushon from NatWest (NWG), with the deal expected to close in the first half of 2026.
Financial Details: The financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed, although WTW was in advanced talks regarding the deal at the end of November.
Barclays Considers Acquisition of Evelyn Partners to Target Wealthy Clients
Barclays' Potential Takeover: Barclays PLC is considering a bid for Evelyn Partners, a major UK wealth manager, with a formal offer expected by December 10, 2023, as part of a competitive sale process valued at over £2.5 billion.
Interest from Competitors: Other financial institutions, including NatWest, Royal Bank of Canada, and Lloyds Banking Group, are also exploring bids for Evelyn Partners, although no guarantees of bids or transactions have been confirmed.
Growth Strategy in Wealth Management: Barclays aims to expand its Private Banking and Wealth Management segment by hiring up to 100 advisers and targeting approximately 4 million UK customers with investable assets between £250,000 and £3 million.
Financial Performance: The Private Bank and Wealth Management segment reported a 7.7% income growth year-over-year, totaling £1.03 billion for the nine months ending September 30, 2025, with a notable increase in attributable profit.
Major Transactions This Week: CAE, Sinclair, Bed Bath & Beyond, NatWest, and Others
Mergers and Acquisitions Activity: CAE is experiencing takeover speculation, while Naver Financial plans to acquire Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, for $10 billion.
Sinclair and E.W. Scripps Deal: Sinclair has offered to buy E.W. Scripps shares it doesn't own for $7 each, leading to an 8.5% rise in Scripps' stock, while Sinclair's shares fell by 1.6%.
Fulton Financial and Blue Foundry: Fulton Financial has agreed to acquire Blue Foundry in an all-stock deal valued at approximately $243 million.
Other Notable Acquisitions: Bed Bath & Beyond will acquire The Brand House Collective for about $26.8 million, and Willis Towers Watson is in talks to buy the Cushon retirement platform from NatWest.
NatWest Partners with Rightmove for Mortgage Innovation
- Strategic Partnership Launch: NatWest Group announced an exclusive mortgage partnership with Rightmove, set to begin in April, aimed at providing users with mortgage affordability insights to help homebuyers understand their borrowing potential early in their property search, thereby enhancing customer decision-making capabilities.
- Service Digitization Enhancement: The collaboration will integrate NatWest's Mortgage in Principle service with Rightmove's existing affordability tools, aiming to accelerate and digitize the UK home-moving process, making the search experience more efficient for buyers.
- Customer Support Mechanism: Users applying through Rightmove will receive NatWest's digital mortgage decisions in principle, with eligible customers potentially receiving a full mortgage offer within 24 hours of applying online, ensuring timely financial support for homebuyers.
- Market Positioning and Commitment: As the UK's third-largest mortgage lender, NatWest is committed to assisting first-time buyers through initiatives like the Family Backed Mortgage and Shared Ownership Mortgage, with plans to lend £10 billion to first-time buyers by 2026, further enhancing its competitive edge in the market.
Barclays and NatWest Expected to Bid for Evelyn Partners
- Bidding Activity: Barclays and NatWest are expected to formally submit bids for wealth management firm Evelyn Partners on Thursday, indicating strong interest in the wealth management sector.
- Bid Scale: Both banks are offering over £2 billion for a firm that manages approximately £65 billion in assets, which would significantly enhance their market position if successful.
- Potential Competitors: Although the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is speculated to be linked to the auction, it remains unclear whether they will submit a bid, adding uncertainty to the competitive landscape.
- Shareholder Background: Evelyn Partners is owned by private equity firms Permira and Warburg Pincus, and this acquisition could impact their future strategic direction and investment decisions.
NatWest Group Raises 2025 Income Guidance to £16.3 Billion
- Guidance Upgrade: NatWest Group has raised its 2025 income guidance to £16.3 billion, indicating strong confidence in future revenue growth and ongoing capital return capabilities.
- Buyback Completion: The bank has completed a buyback of 71.1 million shares, representing 0.88% of its share capital for £374.29 million, demonstrating proactive capital management efforts.
- Slight Fair Value Increase: The fair value for NatWest has been modestly adjusted from 6.60x to 6.63x, reflecting a slight enhancement in market recognition of its intrinsic value, even as the discount rate has increased to 8.45%.
- Analyst Target Upgrades: Analysts from Citi, JPMorgan, and RBC have raised their price targets for NatWest, reflecting growing recognition of its long-term earnings power, although some maintain neutral ratings to address potential risks.
Willis Towers Watson Reveals Deal to Purchase Cushon from NatWest
Acquisition Announcement: Willis Towers Watson (WTW) has announced the acquisition of the workplace retirement schemes platform Cushon from NatWest (NWG), with the deal expected to close in the first half of 2026.
Financial Details: The financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed, although WTW was in advanced talks regarding the deal at the end of November.
Barclays Considers Acquisition of Evelyn Partners to Target Wealthy Clients
Barclays' Potential Takeover: Barclays PLC is considering a bid for Evelyn Partners, a major UK wealth manager, with a formal offer expected by December 10, 2023, as part of a competitive sale process valued at over £2.5 billion.
Interest from Competitors: Other financial institutions, including NatWest, Royal Bank of Canada, and Lloyds Banking Group, are also exploring bids for Evelyn Partners, although no guarantees of bids or transactions have been confirmed.
Growth Strategy in Wealth Management: Barclays aims to expand its Private Banking and Wealth Management segment by hiring up to 100 advisers and targeting approximately 4 million UK customers with investable assets between £250,000 and £3 million.
Financial Performance: The Private Bank and Wealth Management segment reported a 7.7% income growth year-over-year, totaling £1.03 billion for the nine months ending September 30, 2025, with a notable increase in attributable profit.
Major Transactions This Week: CAE, Sinclair, Bed Bath & Beyond, NatWest, and Others
Mergers and Acquisitions Activity: CAE is experiencing takeover speculation, while Naver Financial plans to acquire Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, for $10 billion.
Sinclair and E.W. Scripps Deal: Sinclair has offered to buy E.W. Scripps shares it doesn't own for $7 each, leading to an 8.5% rise in Scripps' stock, while Sinclair's shares fell by 1.6%.
Fulton Financial and Blue Foundry: Fulton Financial has agreed to acquire Blue Foundry in an all-stock deal valued at approximately $243 million.
Other Notable Acquisitions: Bed Bath & Beyond will acquire The Brand House Collective for about $26.8 million, and Willis Towers Watson is in talks to buy the Cushon retirement platform from NatWest.
