Alison Rose has agreed by mutual consent to step down as Group CEO with immediate effect.
For an initial 12-month period, Paul Thwaite, CEO of the Commercial and Institutional business, will step into the role.
The news comes off the back of mounting pressure after Alison Rose admitted that she was the source of inaccurate information given to a BBC journalist.
The shares fell 2.8% in early trading.
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Our view
It's a shame to see Alison Rose leave under these circumstances. As a highly regarded banker and long-time NatWest employee, her leadership will be missed. Nevertheless, things must go on and we turn attention to upcoming results.
NatWest is a traditional beast in Banking Land. By that, we mean it generates most of its income from interest payments, with only a smaller proportion coming from things like fees or commission from institutional level deal-making.
That means interest rate hikes have typically been great news. Net interest margin, a measure of the profitability of lending and borrowing, crept higher to 3.27% - enough to drive healthy profit in the first quarter.
Markets didn't react kindly to full-year guidance following first-quarter results, which remained at 3.2%. That's despite UK base rates being higher than when those figures were first announced. This is where high rate sensitivity is a double-edged sword. Stability is what markets like, and it's unclear yet at what pace rates will come back down. Faster than expected would be a hit to NatWest in particular.
On a more positive note, provisions set aside for debt defaults were better than first thought. This is something to keep a close eye on, Lloyds reported a modest increase in arrears in second-quarter results so we'll be interested to see how things look for NatWest. Risks here tend to be lower given it boasts one of the lowest levels of higher-risk unsecured lending in the sector.
Yes, there was an outflow of customer deposits over the first quarter, but it's not cause for too much concern. Consumers shopping around for the best rates isn't much of a surprise, given they've spent years getting little to nothing from their cash deposits.
Costs are an ongoing point of note, and we've been pleased to see continued progress on reducing the cost:income ratio - an important efficiency measure. Yet, costs were ahead of expectations over the first quarter and keeping them low is the next challenge. This remains a point of potential weakness in a high-inflation world.
Running on a Common Equity Tier (CET1) ratio - which essentially shows how well capitalised banks are - of over 14% at the last count is very comfortable. That paves the way for shareholder returns, as shown by the ongoing £800m buyback programme. We expect some degree of caution on returns while the environment is uncertain and there are no guarantees.
NatWest is taking advantage of the current environment, and the ongoing return on tangible equity (ROTE) target of 14-16% is attractive and achievable. When you add in the 7.4% forward yield and buyback, the potential returns to shareholders at this valuation are still worth a look.
We're not there yet, but our main concern is how performance holds up if and when interest rates become a headwind. There's also the ongoing risk that economic conditions end up worse than expected.
NatWest key facts
All ratios are sourced from Refinitiv. Please remember yields are variable and not a reliable indicator of future income. Keep in mind key figures shouldn't be looked at on their own - it's important to understand the big picture.
This article is original Hargreaves Lansdown content, published by Hargreaves Lansdown. It was correct as at the date of publication, and our views may have changed since then. Unless otherwise stated estimates, including prospective yields, are a consensus of analyst forecasts provided by Refinitiv. These estimates are not a reliable indicator of future performance. Yields are variable and not guaranteed. Investments rise and fall in value so investors could make a loss.
This article is not advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any investment. No view is given on the present or future value or price of any investment, and investors should form their own view on any proposed investment. This article has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and is considered a marketing communication. Non-independent research is not subject to FCA rules prohibiting dealing ahead of research, however HL has put controls in place (including dealing restrictions, physical and information barriers) to manage potential conflicts of interest presented by such dealing. Please see our full non-independent research disclosure for more information.