---
title: "NatWest Powers Ahead on Strong Q3 — While Lloyds Stumbles in Car Loan Scandal"
publisher: "Share Talk"
author: "sharetalk"
published: "2025-10-24T07:17:02+00:00"
modified: "2025-10-24T07:17:02+00:00"
date: 2025-10-24
canonical: "https://www.share-talk.com/natwest-powers-ahead-on-strong-q3-while-lloyds-stumbles-in-car-loan-scandal/"
category: "B2B"
categories: ["B2B", "Blogs", "Business & Support Services", "Technology", "Technology, Media & Telecoms"]
tags: ["Aberdeen", "Alexander Stafford", "Alison Rose", "BANK", "banking", "BBC", "branch", "Coutts", "Downing Street", "Edinburgh", "FCA", "Financial", "Glasgow", "local", "NatWest", "NatWest Group", "Nigel Farage", "payments", "Peter Flavel", "Retail", "Scotland", "services", "UK"]
image: "https://i0.wp.com/www.share-talk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/NatWest-Bank.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1"
format: "news"
language: "en-GB"
---

# NatWest Powers Ahead on Strong Q3 — While Lloyds Stumbles in Car Loan Scandal

**Published:** October 24, 2025
**Author:** sharetalk
**Categories:** B2B, Blogs, Business & Support Services, Technology, Technology, Media & Telecoms
**Tags:** Aberdeen, Alexander Stafford, Alison Rose, BANK, banking, BBC, branch, Coutts, Downing Street, Edinburgh, FCA, Financial, Glasgow, local, NatWest, NatWest Group, Nigel Farage, payments, Peter Flavel, Retail, Scotland, services, UK
**Featured image:** ![](https://i0.wp.com/www.share-talk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/NatWest-Bank.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1)

---

**NatWest Posts Strong Q3 Results, Lifts Profit Outlook as Lloyds Reels from Car Loan Scandal**

**NatWest** has reported a **strong set of third-quarter results**, with **pre-tax profit jumping 30% to £2.18bn**, in sharp contrast to **Lloyds Banking Group**, which yesterday revealed a **36% drop in profits** and a further **£800m provision** linked to the **car loan commissions scandal**.

NatWest has **no exposure** to the scandal, giving it clear breathing room just as Lloyds and several peers face a potentially costly regulatory settlement.

The bank’s profit jump was driven by:

-
**Broad-based lending growth** to both households and businesses

-
**Lower impairment charges** of **£153m**, down from **£245m** last year

-
A continued **focus on cost efficiencies**, despite overall expenses rising

NatWest has cut **around 600 jobs** over the past year, including **100** in the last quarter, as part of a push to **“accelerate bank-wide simplification”**. However, higher overall operating costs meant the savings did not significantly boost quarterly profit.

The bank — which **fully exited government ownership earlier this year**, marking the end of its post-2008 bailout era — has now **raised its full-year guidance**.

It expects **income (excluding notable items)** for 2025 to come in at **£16.3bn**, reinforcing earlier expectations of **more than £16bn**.

---

**Summary:**

-
**Q3 pre-tax profit:** £2.18bn (+30.4% YoY)

-
**Lending growth:** Strong across consumer + business

-
**Impairment charges:** £153m (down vs. £245m)

-
**Cost-cutting:** 600 jobs cut over 12 months

-
**New income guidance:** £16.3bn for FY 2025

-
**No exposure** to the car financing compensation scandal (key differentiator vs Lloyds)

NatWest’s results highlight a **divergent outlook** in the UK banking sector, with **cleaner balance sheets and lower legal risk** now proving as important as lending margins in determining performance.

**CEO Paul Thwaite said:**

“As a result of our consistent delivery and capital generation, we have upgraded our income and returns guidance for 2025 and are well placed to support our customers, invest for the future and deliver returns to our shareholders.”

---

**Original URL:** https://www.share-talk.com/natwest-powers-ahead-on-strong-q3-while-lloyds-stumbles-in-car-loan-scandal/
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