London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jan 26, 2026

Financial markets calm but warning of problems to come from IMF

Financial markets calm but warning of problems to come from IMF

The FTSE 100 rebounded as did shares in the largest UK commercial banks after the Deutsche Bank sell off on Friday.
After a turbulent Friday and the rumbling of the worst financial crisis since 2008, the UK and European stock markets have largely calmed.

Germany's largest bank, Deutsche Bank, became the focus in the latest wave of selling across banking and wider financial stocks in the wake of the forced takeover of Credit Suisse.

Its shares had fallen more than 14% at one point during a bumpy day of trading across Europe.

On Monday they bounced back to finish 6.2% up, but failed to reach the level of €9.32 (£7.59) - a share seen before the drop on Thursday evening.

Similarly, the FTSE 100 index of the most valuable companies listed on the Financial Times Stock Exchange closed 0.9% up, but had yet to recover from the hit it took on Friday.

Following the news that the embattled Silicon Valley Bank had been bought by First Citizen Bank, its shares surged above 50%.

Meanwhile NatWest and Lloyds ended the day in positive territory, with Barclays also up 2.3%.

The gains come just a day after the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned there are risks to financial stability stemming from the turmoil in the banking sector.

"At a time of higher debt levels, the rapid transition from a prolonged period of low interest rates to much higher rates, necessary to fight inflation, inevitably generates stresses and vulnerabilities, as evidenced by recent developments in the banking sector in some advanced economies," said Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the IMF.

Central banks globally have raised interest rates in an effort to reduce inflation, both boosting banks' profitability and posing challenges as some reliable banking securities lose value.

At the opening of US markets, the three main stock market gauges all jumped up from Friday. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones later both ended the day up 0.2% and 0.6% respectively, although the Nasdaq 100 finished 0.7% down.

Markets have been unsettled since SVB's collapse, which was followed by the failure of another regional lender Signature Bank.

The troubled Credit Suisse was rescued just over a week later.

"Markets have opened calmly this morning, and it looks like Friday's panic over Deutsche Bank was a bit misplaced," said the chief market analyst at IG Group, the online trading provider.

"But the steady drain of deposits from banks means a slow motion problem is in the making, and could result in a contraction in lending that brings on a recession," Chris Beauchamp said. "This is the bigger risk than the hunt last week for the next domino to fall in the global banking system."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Greenland’s NATO Stress Test: Coercion, Credibility, and the New Arctic Bargaining Game
Diego Garcia and the Chagos Dispute: When Decolonization Collides With Alliance Power
Trump Claims “Total” U.S. Access to Greenland as NATO Weighs Arctic Basing Rights and Deterrence
Air France and KLM Suspend Multiple Middle East Routes as Regional Tensions Disrupt Aviation
U.S. winter storm triggers 13,000-plus flight cancellations and 160,000 power outages
Poland delays euro adoption as Domański cites $1tn economy and zloty advantage
White House: Trump warns Canada of 100% tariff if Carney finalizes China trade deal
PLA opens CMC probe of Zhang Youxia, Liu Zhenli over Xi authority and discipline violations
ICE and DHS immigration raids in Minneapolis: the use-of-force accountability crisis in mass deportation enforcement
UK’s Starmer and Trump Agree on Urgent Need to Bolster Arctic Security
Starmer Breaks Diplomatic Restraint With Firm Rebuke of Trump, Seizing Chance to Advocate for Europe
UK Finance Minister Reeves to Join Starmer on China Visit to Bolster Trade and Economic Ties
Prince Harry Says Sacrifices of NATO Forces in Afghanistan Deserve ‘Respect’ After Trump Remarks
Barron Trump Emerges as Key Remote Witness in UK Assault and Rape Trial
Nigel Farage Attended Davos 2026 Using HP Trust Delegate Pass Linked to Sasan Ghandehari
Gold Jumps More Than 8% in a Week as the Dollar Slides Amid Greenland Tariff Dispute
BlackRock Executive Rick Rieder Emerges as Leading Contender to Succeed Jerome Powell as Fed Chair
Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robot and LG CLOiD home robot: the platform lock-in fight to control Physical AI
United States under President Donald Trump completes withdrawal from the World Health Organization: health sovereignty versus global outbreak early-warning access
FBI and U.S. prosecutors vs Ryan Wedding’s transnational cocaine-smuggling network: the fight over witness-killing and cross-border enforcement
Trump Administration’s Iran Military Buildup and Sanctions Campaign Puts Deterrence Credibility on the Line
Apple and OpenAI Chase Screenless AI Wearables as the Post-iPhone Interface Battle Heats Up
Tech Brief: AI Compute, Chips, and Platform Power Moves Driving Today’s Market Narrative
NATO’s Stress Test Under Trump: Alliance Credibility, Burden-Sharing, and the Fight Over Strategic Territory
OpenAI’s Money Problem: Explosive Growth, Even Faster Costs, and a Race to Stay Ahead
Trump Reverses Course and Criticises UK-Mauritius Chagos Islands Agreement
Elizabeth Hurley Tells UK Court of ‘Brutal’ Invasion of Privacy in Phone Hacking Case
UK Bond Yields Climb as Report Fuels Speculation Over Andy Burnham’s Return to Parliament
America’s Venezuela Oil Grip Meets China’s Demand: Market Power, Legal Shockwaves, and the New Rules of Energy Leverage
TikTok’s U.S. Escape Plan: National Security Firewall or Political Theater With a Price Tag?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
Will AI Finally Make Blue-Collar Workers Rich—or Is This Just Elite Tech Spin?
Prince William to Make Official Visit to Saudi Arabia in February
Prince Harry Breaks Down in London Court, Says UK Tabloids Have Made Meghan Markle’s Life ‘Absolute Misery’
Malin + Goetz UK Business Enters Administration, All Stores Close
EU and UK Reject Trump’s Greenland-Linked Tariff Threats and Pledge Unified Response
UK Deepfake Crackdown Puts Intense Pressure on Musk’s Grok AI After Surge in Non-Consensual Explicit Images
Prince Harry Becomes Emotional in London Court, Invokes Memory of Princess Diana in Testimony Against UK Tabloids
UK Inflation Rises Unexpectedly but Interest Rate Cuts Still Seen as Likely
AI vs Work: The Battle Over Who Controls the Future of Labor
Buying an Ally’s Territory: Strategic Genius or Geopolitical Breakdown?
AI Everywhere: Power, Money, War, and the Race to Control the Future
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
×