1. Barclays' bad debt doubles as dividend boosted
Bad debt provisions nearly doubled to £372mln from £200mln, taking charges for the half-year to £896mln, up from £341mln last year.
2. Centrica's profits climb as households fume
This was thanks to a recovery of costs incurred when wholesale prices began to rise in 2021, with Ofgem’s price caps from April including measures for losses to be regained through bills.
3. BT backs guidance by broadband use falls
Philip Jansen, chief executive, said: “We've made a strong start to the year, in what remains a very competitive market, with improved customer satisfaction, pro forma revenue growth in all of our business units and pro forma group EBITDA up by 5%.”
4. FTSE 100 dips below 7,700 at the close
At the close, the UK's blue chip index had added 16 points to finish at 7,693 points for a 0.2% gain on the day.
5. Coutts boss falls foul of Farage fallout
Peter Flavel, former head of NatWest-owned Coutts bank, has stepped down with immediate effect as the fallout over the Nigel Farage controversy claims another victim.