London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Feb 25, 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
Lord Mandelson Condemns Arrest as Driven by ‘Baseless Suggestion’ He Would Flee Abroad
Former UK Ambassador Released on Bail Following Arrest in Epstein-Linked Investigation
UK Parliament Orders Release of Former Prince Andrew’s Government Vetting Files
Reddit Fined £14 Million by UK Regulator Over Failures in Age Verification Controls
UK Moves to Tighten Regulation of Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video Under New Media Rules
British Woman Who Reported Rape in Hong Kong Faces Possible Prosecution
'Christianity is the religion that has made this country great.'
Man Receives Parking Ticket 38 Years After Offense: ‘City Officials Said It’s Legitimate’
Woman Receives Gift Card for Christmas – Discovers It Is ‘Worth’ 63,000,000,000,000,000 Pounds
UK Sanctions New Zealand Insurer Maritime Mutual Following Allegations Over Russian Oil Cover
Reform MP Danny Kruger Condemns UK’s ‘Unregulated Sexual Economy’ in Call for Tougher Controls
The Show Must Go On: Prince William and Kate Middleton Shine at the BAFTAs Amid Andrew’s Arrest
UK Sanctions Russian ‘Illicit Oil Traders’ After Email Blunder Exposes Sanctions Evasion Network
Russia Amplifies Baseless Claims That UK and France Plan to Arm Ukraine with Nuclear Weapons
UK Imposes Sanctions on Two Georgian Television Channels Over Alleged Russian Disinformation
United States National Parks See Noticeable Drop in Visitors from Canada, U.K. and Australia
UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand Escalate Sanctions on Russia as Ukraine War Marks Four Years
I Gave Andrew a Nude Massage Inside Buckingham Palace
UK Economy Faces Acute Strain as Trump’s Global Tariff Reshapes Trade Landscape
UK Signals Retaliation Is Possible as New US Tariff Policy Threatens Trade Stability
British Police Arrest Former Ambassador Peter Mandelson in Epstein-Related Misconduct Probe
Australia Officially Supports Proposal to Remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from Royal Succession
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan remains silent on ISIS brides' resettlement plans in Melbourne
Former UK Ambassador Peter Mandelson Arrested in Connection with Jeffrey Epstein
Jacob Rees Mogg afraid to talk about Peter Mandelson arrest on “suspicion of misconduct in a public office” (Pedophilia, corruption, etc.)
United Nations Calls for Global Action Against Disinformation and Hate Speech Online
Tucker Carlson warns of an inevitable clash in Western societies over mass migration
President Trump warns countries against abandoning recent trade deals with the US
Diverging Polls Show Mixed Signals on UK Economic Revival as Confidence Remains Fragile
Spotify Expands AI-Driven ‘Prompted Playlists’ Feature to the United Kingdom and Other Markets
Greens and Reform UK Surge in Manchester By-Election, Threatening Labour’s Historic Stronghold
UK Businesses Push for Closer European Trade Links Amid Renewed US Tariff Uncertainty
Deloitte Global Overhaul Sparks Leadership Contest in the United Kingdom
University of Kentucky and Microsoft to Showcase Campus-Wide AI Innovation
UK Food System Faces Acute Vulnerability to Shocks, Experts Warn
Reform UK’s Proposed ICE-Style Deportation Scheme Triggers Sharp Backlash
U.S. Global Tariff Push Leaves Britain, Australia and Others Facing Higher Costs and Trade Strain
UK Police Officers Guarded 2010 Epstein Dinner Attended by Prince Andrew, Reports Say
US Trade Representative Affirms Commitment to Existing Tariff Agreements with UK and Other Partners
Activists at the Louvre hung a framed Reuters photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor slumped in the back of a car leaving a police station on the day of his arrest
The royal biographer said that he expected the police to 'look at the money trail' - including Sarah Ferguson borrowing money from Epstein
A Protestor screams in NYC: “Bill Gates is on the Epstein’s List…”
FBI and Secret Service Hold Press Conference After Shooting Incident at Mar-a-Lago
Mark Zuckerberg Testifies in Trial Over Social Media's Impact on Children's Mental Health
Maggie Oliver exposes Keir Starmer using letters to close child rapists investigations
Kouri Richie's wrote a children’s book to help her sons grieve the death of their father. Now she’ll stand trial for his murder
New York Braces for Major Snowstorm With Up to 18 Inches Forecast and Blizzard Warnings Issued
Mexican Military Kills CJNG Leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes as Violence Erupts Across Jalisco
Metropolitan Police Deploys Palantir-Powered AI to Flag Potential Officer Misconduct
UK Parliament Rebukes Police Over Ban on Israeli Football Fans
×