Spain and UK financing round-up, June 21, 2025
This week’s round-up of financing news … UK SME providing hits 3-year high Service financing by UK high street banks increased […] Today’s round-up of finance news … U K SME providing hits 3-year high Organization lending by UK high street banks increased to ₤ 4.6 billion in Q1 2025, a 14 percent year-on-year boost, according to UK Financing mentioned by Financial Reporter. The greatest increase originated from small companies, with lending up almost 30 per cent, and loan approvals up 37 per cent. Shawbrook’s Neil Rudge alerted, “The genuine issue isn’t the accessibility of capital– it’s the appetite for it.” Newable exits UK export plan Newable, the only non-bank lending institution in the UK’s Export Financing Assurance Plan, has stopped new loans, providing a blow to small exporters, according to GTR. A UKEF spokesperson verified: “Newable has informed customers that it has paused brand-new applications to UKEF’s General Export Center.” The company was removed from UKEF’s participant list on June 9, regardless of having actually backed 529 SME offers worth ₤ 28 million (EUR33 million) because 2021. Will banks now step in? The Majority Of Keep Reading Euro Weekly News Why the UK is Europe’s remote work leader Spain and the UK can’t agree– and Gibraltar pays the rate Revolut’s AI finance assistant Revolut will quickly present an AI-powered monetary assistant to assist users make smarter money choices, according to Bloomberg. UK CEO Francesca Carlesi confirmed the launch at a Bloomberg occasion in Milan on June 17. The tool will use personalised monetary assistance, with a progressive rollout prepared throughout 2025. Revolut’s user base struck 52.5 million in 2024, with CEO Nik Storonsky stating they’re “simply getting started.” WollettePay to introduce in UK Wollette will release WollettePay, a direct account-to-account (A2A) payment system, in Q4 2025, according to Fintech News. The service aims to simplify open banking with immediate, one-tap payments using biometric verification and encryption– no requirement for entering card information. CEO Henry Orunkoya stated, “We are giving customers and merchants a payment experience that is finally as simple as it needs to be.” Pre-registration opens in July 2025. JPMorgan UK CEO JPMorgan has appointed Maricé Brown as CEO of its UK personal bank, effective Q3, following Oliver Gregson’s departure, FN London reports. Brown presently heads JPMorgan Private Bank Mexico. A representative said she brings “deep experience and strong management skills to the UK market.” The move reflects broader management reshuffles across JPMorgan. Spain’s bonds in demand Spain’s government bonds are gaining popularity as the yield spread over German bunds narrows, reflecting renewed investor confidence, Investing.com reports. JP Morgan analyst Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou noted: “Peripheral bonds are now outperforming core bonds.” Spain’s 3.2 percent GDP growth and stable economic outlook are fueling the rally. Spain– France power link The European Investment Bank will invest EUR1.6 billion in a 400km subsea power cable connecting Spain and France, set to double electricity capacity by 2028, Euractiv reports. EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix said: “This project is essential to strengthening Europe’s energy resilience and connectivity.” Iberia expanding fleet Spanish airline Iberia will expand its long-haul fleet from 45 to 70 aircraft by 2030, investing a significant EUR6 billion, mainly from its own funds, Investing.com reports. CEO Marco Sansavini said the move supports new direct routes to Toronto, Philadelphia, and Monterrey. Zunder criticizes Spanish delays Ultra-fast EV charging company Zunder says establishing a facility in Spain can take “twice as long” as in France due to bureaucracy, MobilityPlaza reports. B2B Director Alberto Herrero added: “We can’t afford mistakes … If we don’t sell energy, we close.” Singapore lessons to the UK A House of Lords committee urges the UK to emulate Singapore’s fast‐track fintech policies and low‐tax model to boost innovation. While sandbox reforms exist, lawmakers say the UK needs more expedited implementation to remain competitive. UK rate freeze UK inflation remained at 3.4 percent in May, keeping core rates above target. Economists anticipate the Bank of England to maintain interest rates at 4.25 percent, with energy price volatility further complicating decisions, as reported by The Times. Cirsa IPO in Madrid BLACKSTONE‐owned Spanish gaming group Cirsa plans a EUR460M IPO on Madrid’s stock exchange later this year. Proceeds aim to support growth and reduce debt, with Morgan Stanley and Barclays as lead coordinators, as reported by Reuters. UK Fintech dip UK fintech deal numbers are set to decline by 28 percent in 2025, as investors opt for fewer, larger deals. 58 deals were recorded in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 52 percent drop from Q1 2024, as reported by Fintech Global. Fact of the week: CaixaBank reveals that the blackout caused a 34 percent drop in consumption expenditures by Spanish households that day. View all finance news.
Newable exits UK export scheme Newable, the only non-bank lending institution in the UK’s Export Financing Assurance Plan, has halted new loans, delivering a blow to small exporters, according to GTR. Most Read on Euro Weekly News Why the UK is Europe’s remote work leader Spain and the UK can’t agree– and Gibraltar pays the cost Revolut’s AI finance assistant Revolut will soon roll out an AI-powered financial assistant to help users make smarter money decisions, according to Bloomberg. JPMorgan UK CEO JPMorgan has appointed Maricé Brown as CEO of its UK personal bank, effective Q3, following Oliver Gregson’s departure, FN London reports. UK rate freeze UK inflation remained at 3.4 percent in May, keeping core rates above target. UK Fintech dip UK fintech deal numbers are set to decline by 28 percent in 2025, as investors prefer fewer, larger deals.
