Santander boss cautious on rate of interest cuts

The boss of certainly one of Britain’s largest lenders mentioned it was being cautious about providing decrease mortgage charges due to doubts about how rapidly central banks would lower borrowing prices.

The feedback from Mike Regnier, chief govt of Santander UK, got here because the Bank of England ready to set out its newest determination on rates of interest right now.

The US Federal Reserve final night time held charges in a variety between 5.25 per cent and 5.5 per cent however instructed {that a} lower as quickly as March was unlikely.

Rates within the UK look sure to remain put at 5.25 per cent right now however markets are betting they may begin to fall from May and drop to as little as 4.25 per cent by the tip of the yr.

That has prompted a scramble by lenders to chop the charges that they provide to mortgage debtors even earlier than the Bank of England acts.

Caution: Earlier this month, Spanish-owned Santander bucked the development by elevating charges on a lot of its fastened charge mortgage offers

Yesterday, TSB turned the most recent to chop borrowing prices for dwelling patrons.

But earlier this month, Spanish-owned Santander bucked the development by elevating charges on a lot of its fixed-rate mortgage offers.

Regnier instructed the Mail that the choice was prompted by an increase in ‘swap’ charges which can be utilized by lenders to cost mortgages.

But he was additionally uncertain that Bank of England charges would fall as rapidly as markets anticipate.

‘Put ourselves in the shoes of the Bank of England, I’d need to be completely satisfied that we had tamed the inflation beast earlier than loosening financial coverage too materially,’ Regnier mentioned. 

‘And that’s why our central case is that financial coverage won’t be eased fairly as rapidly because the market’s anticipating in the meanwhile.’

Regnier famous that market pricing on swaps modified from everyday and that Santander is ‘certainly expecting that interest rates will come down this year’.

But requested whether or not his extra conservative view on rates of interest was behind Santander’s warning on mortgage pricing, Regnier mentioned: ‘Yes, probably right.’

The feedback counsel that doubts in regards to the path of charge hikes might dampen the cheerier temper across the housing market firstly of this yr.

Figures yesterday from Nationwide confirmed that home costs rose 0.7 per cent in January in contrast with December as decrease mortgage charges helped revive demand.

It is the most recent signal that the housing market is selecting up after a tricky 2023.

Santander UK’s annual outcomes confirmed an £11.9billion fall in mortgage lending final yr, although larger charges helped it to develop annual income by 13 per cent to £2.1billion.

Regnier mentioned: ‘We did see quite a big fall in demand last year. Our expectation is the market will be bigger in 2024.’

Last night time, the US Federal Reserve turned up the warmth on the Bank of England as chairman Jerome Powell mentioned ‘almost everyone’ on its rate-setting committee ‘is in favour of moving rates down this year’.

However he instructed a lower on the Fed’s subsequent assembly in March was ‘probably not the most likely’.