NatWest first-quarter profits jump by 50% after interest rate rises

Banking group says some customers have had to dip into savings because of rising prices

NatWest has reported bumper first-quarter profits on the back of a rise in UK interest rates but said persistently high prices were causing some customers to dip into their savings.

The banking group said it was largely unaffected by the banking turmoil that resulted in the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse last month, and despite uncertainty, managed to report a 50% jump in profits to 1.9bn in the first three months of the year. That was better than the 1.6bn forecast by analysts.