$LYG

Lloyds Banking Group said it completed three live tokenised deposit transactions under Project Agorá, covering GBP, Swiss francs, euros and cross-currency payment scenarios. The cross-currency test linked FX conversion, payment and sterling settlement in one flow, while separate Swiss franc and euro tests used tokenised deposits as a customer bank. The bank said the work moved from prototypes to live use.

The Banker reports Citi CEO Jane Fraser said she is worried a UK bank tax would hurt London’s competitiveness, citing a risk of banks choosing not to book business in London. Other items include Deutsche Bank seeking millions in repaid settlements in a £700mn High Court dispute with former staff, Lloyds cutting £2bn via strategy changes, and JPMorgan expanding a $1.5tn fund for European defence.

Lloyds Banking Group (LYG) reported first-half statutory profit after tax of GBP 3.1 billion (17.1% return on tangible equity) and net income of GBP 9.7 billion, up 9% year over year, with interim dividend of 1.58p (+30%) and a GBP 1 billion share buyback. Q2 net interest margin rose to 322 bps. Management outlined the Accelerate 2030 plan and targets including CET1 of 13% and structural hedge income above GBP 9 billion by 2030.

According to data published by Lloyds Banking Group, UK house prices were flat in July, with on-year growth at 0.1%. The report said prices stalled amid a more uncertain economic backdrop this year, citing the Lloyds house price index.

Lloyds said UK house prices were flat in July and rose only 0.1% year over year, citing higher borrowing costs and uncertainty tied to the Iran war. It noted mortgage rates edged higher again and affordability remains a challenge. Bank of England data showed lenders approved more mortgages than expected in June, while investors priced a 0.25% Bank Rate hike in December.

Lloyds Banking Group said Jayne Opperman, head of consumer lending and an executive committee member, will step down at year end. The move follows the bank’s announcement of a four-year strategy aimed at simplifying its consumer lending business, according to the company. Opperman joined the role in 2023 under CEO Charlie Nunn.

UK banks reported strong half-year profits, with the four largest lenders (HSBC, NatWest, Barclays, Lloyds) posting £29.2bn total and £13.7bn via dividends and buybacks, according to their results. Campaigners and unions are urging a windfall tax on bank profits to raise about £19bn, while bank executives warn higher taxes could reduce lending. Burnham has not commented on a bank tax.

Lloyds Bank plc published a prospectus approved by the UK Financial Conduct Authority for its €60 billion Global Covered Bond Programme. The programme is unconditionally and irrevocably guaranteed for interest and principal payments by Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds LLP. The prospectus dated 4 Aug 2026 is available via the FCA National Storage Mechanism.

Lloyds Banking Group shares were reported at 117.05 GBX (+0.39% on the day). The article cites an EPS upgrade outlook of +6.0% for 2026 and +4.4% for 2027, based on a composite of valuation, EPS revisions, and visibility rankings.

Lloyds Banking Group outlined its Accelerate 2030 tech transformation, led by CEO Charles Nunn, aiming to reimagine customer journeys and boost productivity using AI. The bank cited about £900bn in total assets, 22m app users, and plans for £2bn gross cost savings from 2027-2030, plus over £100m AI value in 2026.