FTSE 100 news / Companies and sectors / Banks / 2 October 2026
Banks: sector news on Friday 2 October 2026
Average tone −0.7 (neutral) across 6 companies with relevant coverage, from 94 stories.
Company by company
| Company | Tone | Stories | What the coverage was about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lloyds Banking Group | +0.8 | 27 | Coverage was split between Lloyds completing a stablecoin settlement pilot with Visa, which was well received, and pressure on UK banks from gilt yields and the Chancellor summoning bank chiefs before the Budget. |
| HSBC | −3.7 | 22 | Coverage was dominated by HSBC shares falling alongside UK banks as gilt yields hit their highest since 1998 and budget worries grew. |
| NatWest Group | −5.5 | 21 | NatWest shares fell around 4-5% as UK banks slid on rising gilt yields and budget worries, with the Chancellor summoning bank chiefs to a pre-budget summit. |
| Standard Chartered | +4.0 | 15 | Coverage was mostly about the bank's new DeFi and Ethena research coverage, plus awards and funding for women-led startups. |
| Barclays | +2.0 | 8 | Coverage was mixed: the completed GoHenry acquisition, wider use of Anthropic's Claude and a current account switch offer were positive. |
| Lion Finance Group | −2.0 | 1 | The only relevant coverage noted Bank of Georgia shares slipping after a share count update. |
Strongest stories in the sector
- −10.0 NatWest in new debanking row as shipping tycoon sues
New debanking row with shipping tycoon lawsuit. - +9.2 Visa and Lloyds Bank Complete Live Stablecoin Settlement Pilot, Moving $750,000 Across Borders
Completed stablecoin settlement pilot with Visa; innovation positive. - +9.2 🚨𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡: 🇬🇧 UK’s Lloyds Banking Group has completed its first stablecoin settlement pilot with Visa, enabling 24/7 settlement including weekends.
First stablecoin settlement pilot completed with 24/7 settlement. - −8.3 HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC) Falls as UK Bank Stocks Slide on Budget-Tax Fears
Shares fall with UK banks on tax fears - −8.3 UK banks tumble as gilt yields hit highest since 1998, budget jitters mount
UK banks tumble on gilt yields and budget fears - −8.3 HSBC Slides as UK Budget Jitters Compound Global Rate Anxiety
Shares slide on budget and rate worries - +8.3 Lloyds and Visa Settle $750K in USDC During Week-Long Live Pilot
Successful USDC settlement pilot with Visa. - +8.3 Visa & Lloyds test stablecoin settlement for USD $750,000
Stablecoin settlement test with Visa reported. - −8.3 UK banks tumble as gilt yields hit highest since 1998, budget jitters mount
UK banks tumbled on gilt yields and budget worries. - +8.3 Lloyds and Visa Settled $750,000 using USDC Cross-Border Payment
Cross-border USDC payment settled with Visa. - +8.3 Lloyds settles $750K with Visa using USDC stabl...
Stablecoin settlement with Visa completed. - +8.3 Cuy Sheffield: Visa and Lloyds Banking Group partner on stablecoin settlement pilot
Visa executive highlights stablecoin partnership with Lloyds.