Uncertainty over the future of the country led to a 13.6% fall in the FTSE All-Share Financial index last year, underperforming both the FTSE All-Share and MSCI World, which lost 9.5% and 3% respectively. We have seen strength come back into bank shares since the start of the year, and a number of the key metrics have improved, including the Returns on Capital, the Net Interest Margins, the level of impairments and the cost/income ratios. But the cost of the regulatory burden remains and until the Brexit impasse is resolved rates are unlikely to move much higher.

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