Moving Towards Private Ownership

  • U.K. government reduces its stake in NatWest Group
  • Stake cut from 19.97% to 18.99%
  • Treasury disposed of 83.9 million ordinary shares
  • Current shareholding worth £20.54 billion
  • Government aims to return NatWest to private ownership by 2025-2026
  • New Labour government drops previous plans for retail sale

The U.K. government has continued to reduce its stake in NatWest Group, bringing it closer to returning the bank to private ownership. The Treasury disposed of 83.9 million ordinary shares, cutting its shareholding from 19.97% to 18.99%. This move is part of a plan to exit its position by 2025-2026. The government aims to achieve this through trading plans, buybacks, and offering shares to institutional and private investors.

Factuality Level: 10
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate information about the U.K government’s reduction in its stake in NatWest Group, citing specific numbers and details from regulatory filings, and includes relevant context about the bank’s history and the government’s plans for returning it to private ownership by 2025-2026.
Noise Level: 2
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about the U.K government reducing its stake in NatWest Group and mentions the reasons behind it. It also includes quotes from a NatWest spokesperson. However, it lacks analysis or exploration of long-term trends or consequences.
Public Companies: NatWest Group (NWG), Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)
Key People: Rachel Reeves (U.K. treasury chief)


Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: UK banking sector, specifically NatWest Group
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses the U.K. government reducing its stake in NatWest Group and their plans to return the bank to private ownership by 2025-2026, which impacts the UK banking sector and the value of the company’s shares.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no mention of an extreme event in the article.

Reported publicly: www.marketwatch.com