UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR
15d-16
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
April, 2026
Commission File Number 001-10306
NatWest Group plc
250 Bishopsgate,
London, EC2M 4AA
United Kingdom
(Address
of principal executive offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
The
following information was issued as Company announcements in
London, England and is furnished pursuant to General Instruction B
to the General Instructions to Form 6-K:
NatWest Group
plc
Annual General Meeting Statements
28 April 2026
NatWest Group plc will hold its Annual General Meeting at 11:00am
today. The meeting will deal with the proposed resolutions as set
out in the Notice of Meeting previously issued to
shareholders.
The following is an extract from the remarks to be made by Chair,
Rick Haythornthwaite and Group Chief Executive Officer, Paul
Thwaite at the meeting.
Rick Haythornthwaite
Good morning, and welcome to NatWest Group's Annual General Meeting
for 2026. It is a pleasure to welcome you here today at our
Gogarburn headquarters in Scotland, a nation that has long been
central to our story, and which continues to play a vital role in
the future we are building together.
Let me begin by thanking you, our shareholders, for your continued
support, both here today and through our ongoing programme of
engagement, including last week's Virtual Shareholder
Event.
Before turning to our performance, it is worth recognising the
significance of the past year for NatWest Group, following our
return to full private ownership in May 2025, when the UK
Government sold its final shares in the bank. This milestone is a
testament to the progress we have made in recent years, as well as
the longer-term transformation that has seen our bank become
simpler, stronger and more customer focused.
It was a symbolic moment because it turns the page on an important
chapter in our history, but it also reflects how far the
organisation has come. And it gives us the opportunity to look
forward with confidence and conviction while never forgetting the
lessons of the past.
We have started 2026 with positive momentum on which we can build.
We are not standing still. A new chapter is well underway, one
defined not by recovery, but by an ambition to succeed for the long
term, helping
turn our customers possibilities into progress across the
UK.
Turning now to performance. The past year was one of strong,
consistent delivery against our strategic priorities. However, our
progress is not measured solely in financial results, important
though they are. It is measured in the trust we continue to earn,
and in the long-term value we create for our shareholders, our
customers, and the wider economy. Our strategy is delivering, and
we have continued to grow our customer base, strengthen our core
franchises, and invest in the capabilities that will define the
bank of the future.
For shareholders, we can see this in tangible outcomes. The Group
delivered attractive returns through a combination of dividends and
share buybacks. Having raised our dividend payout ratio, we
announced total dividends per share of 32.5p, an increase of 51%
compared to the previous year. Alongside this, we also announced a
£750 million buyback in July, and a further £750m buyback
a few months ago, at our Full Year Results. This is the
result of disciplined execution - on growth, on capital, and on
risk. And it reinforces a simple truth: this is a bank that is
performing today, while building for tomorrow.
This means giving confidence to our shareholders in the
sustainability of our returns and having the capacity to invest in
our future, building on the strong organic growth we are already
delivering, as well as considering acquisitions where we see both a
clear strategic fit and value for shareholders.
Our acquisition of Evelyn Partners reflects our positive momentum,
it's a timely and compelling transaction which I know Paul will
expand on shortly.
As owners of the business, shareholders rightly expect the Group to
allocate capital with discipline and with clear strategic intent in
order to further strengthen our performance. The Board takes that
responsibility seriously. We know that consistency of delivery
truly matters and that confidence is earned over time.
Over recent years, uncertainty and volatility have been a
persistent feature of our operating environment. Growth is present,
but it is uneven. It varies by sector, by region and by levels of
financial resilience, and it demands discipline and selectivity.
What has been striking over the past year is that behaviours have
often proved more resilient than sentiment. Across households and
businesses, people continue to plan, invest and adapt, even in the
face of uncertainty, but with greater discipline and a renewed
focus on returns and value for money.
We should be clear: there are near-term challenges. Recent global
events mean pressures have elevated for many households and
businesses. From a Board perspective, maintaining a
longer-term view is essential, and we believe deeply in
the long-term strengths of the UK.
The UK faces into today's challenges with significant structural
strengths, including strong institutions, deep pools of talent and
an enduring capacity to innovate. For a bank such as ours, this
environment only reinforces our role: to use our strength and
expertise to support customers through periods of adjustment, to
allocate capital with discipline, and to help enable the investment
that underpins future growth.
One of the most important and rewarding parts of my role is staying
close to those we serve and to those who shape our operating
environment. Even in the past month alone, that engagement has
taken me to the United States, meeting with technology leaders; to
business innovation events with AI start-ups; and closer to home, spending time with
businesses and communities in Kent.
Through our Board engagement, we hear directly from customers,
colleagues, policymakers and regulators across the UK and
internationally, and those perspectives matter.
And wherever I've been, it is clear that there is a genuine
appetite to understand how banks can support long-term growth.
Those conversations also reinforce something fundamental: growth
and opportunity are not uniform. Which is why our local
connections, combined with our national scale and insight, are not
only a defining source of strength for NatWest Group; they are
central to how we support growth across the UK.
Let me bring that to life with an example here in Scotland, a
nation where we have deep roots and a long-standing commitment to supporting local economies
and communities. As we approach the Royal Bank's
300-year anniversary next year, that sense of
long-term partnership matters more than ever, not only
as part of our history, but as part of the future we are
building.
Over the past year, we have continued to strengthen the support we
provide to Scotland's entrepreneurs and businesses. We have
announced a new accelerator partnership with the University of
Edinburgh, launched specialist Venture Banking services, and
announced the launch of IP lending, reflecting our focus on backing
innovation and helping businesses realise the value of their
ideas.
Just last week, we also opened our new Accelerator Hub on Princes
Street in Edinburgh. From the heart of the city, this hub brings
together expert support, mentoring and networks, helping ambitious
businesses connect capital with opportunity.
This builds on our long-standing accelerator programme, which has
supported more than 1,000 entrepreneurs across Scotland over the
past decade, and forms part of our wider commitment to
substantially increase support for 5,000 Scottish entrepreneurs in
the years ahead. That is what supporting growth looks like in
practice, combining deep local relationships with the scale and
capability of a national bank.
Of course, customer expectations continue to evolve, shaped by
technology, data and artificial intelligence or AI in now common
parlance, and by the pace of change across the wider economy. These
shifts bring challenges, but also significant
opportunities.
We see AI as an accelerant of our strategy, helping us serve
customers more seamlessly, support colleagues to work more
effectively, and strengthen how we manage risk and resilience. At
our core, banks like NatWest play a vital enabling role: supporting
investment, backing businesses as they grow, and helping to create
jobs and prosperity throughout the country.
But we are not simply providers of capital. Our role goes well
beyond lending. Increasingly, we are long-term partners, offering expert advice and insights
and connecting capital with opportunity.
In this endeavour, a predictable, proportionate approach to
regulation and policy making is essential to giving businesses and
consumers the confidence to invest, innovate and succeed. And we
have seen a marked shift in recent years, as politicians and
regulators have sought to prioritise growth, balancing it with the
need for stability.
There has been some notable progress, beyond the rhetoric, but it
remains early days. And business must play its part. Through
collaboration between the private and public sectors, we can build
a stable, supportive environment that fosters innovation,
contributes to positive and sustainable economic outcomes and
supports long-term competitiveness and
growth.
As a Board, we have remained closely engaged on the issues that
matter most to the long-term success of the Group, be that our strategic
intent, our risk appetite or how we are positioning ourselves for a
changing economic and technological landscape.
We have also ensured the Board evolves in the right way, with the
leadership, culture and capabilities needed to support our
ambitions. Late last year, we welcomed Josh Critchley as an
independent non-executive director. And in February, Albert
Hitchcock joined the Board. Together, they bring a breadth of
skills, experience and perspective that strengthens the Board, and
I very much look forward to working with them as we continue to
guide the Group through the next year.
On 31 March, Yasmin Jetha retired after nine years of outstanding
service. I want to thank Yasmin for her significant contribution
and wise counsel over that period.
And we were deeply saddened by the passing of Frank Dangeard, Chair
of NatWest Markets, in August. His wisdom and integrity left a
lasting impression on all of us.
As we begin 2026, we do so with conviction and positive momentum,
and with a clear sense of how we can build on our progress. So
where does this leave us?
We are a bank in good shape. We have a clear strategy, we are
delivering against it, and we are building the capabilities that
will define our future competitiveness. There is more to do,
but the direction is clear, and the foundations are
strong.
Let me conclude by turning to our leadership. I have great
confidence in Paul and the leadership team. They have demonstrated
both the discipline to deliver and the ambition to raise our
sights. Paul will now take you through the Group's performance and
strategy in more detail, and outline how we are continuing to
execute our priorities for the years ahead.
But from the perspective of the Board, the message is simple: this
is a bank with momentum, a bank with purpose, a bank with the
strength to navigate uncertainty and a bank with the ambition and
the capability to succeed with our customers in the years to
come.
Paul Thwaite
Thank you, Rick and good morning everyone.
Let me begin with a question, one that sits behind everything we do
as a bank. Are we making it easier for people, businesses and
communities across the UK to make progress? In short: are we
helping our customers to succeed?
Because, ultimately, that is the test of our strategy, and how we
create sustainable value for our shareholders and the wider UK
economy.
Our scale and our performance only matter if they translate into
real, positive outcomes for customers:
●
Whether
supporting a business to start, to grow or to invest
●
Helping
people to buy their first home
●
Or
helping families save and plan for the future.
Today, I firmly believe we can answer that question with
confidence.
Put simply, yes we are. And the progress we made in 2025 is
clear evidence of that. It was another year that showed our
strategy is working. Where the activity of our customers
underpinned our strong financial performance.
Income of £16.4 billion, operating profits of £7.7
billion and a return on tangible equity of 19.2 per cent, all
significantly higher than the year before. But, just as
importantly, we continued to grow with our customers, supporting
more than 20 million people, families and businesses in every
nation and region of the UK.
The momentum we've built is already visible, in our performance, in
our delivery, and in the way we are executing against our three
strategic priorities.
Our first priority is disciplined growth. Across the Group, healthy
levels of customer activity drove broad-based growth, with
deposits, lending and assets under management all higher year on
year.
And we continued to introduce new products and services to meet
customers' changing needs, from the launch of our family-backed
mortgage to extending our Intellectual Property-backed lending for
business. In Retail, we supported families and households to manage
their finances with confidence. And we made home ownership a
reality for more people, growing mortgage balances by £7
billion and helping over 50,000 customers to buy their first
home.
In Commercial and Institutional Banking, we continued to support
one and a half million businesses, from start-ups and scale-ups to
large institutions, backing investment and growth across the
economy, including in sectors such as infrastructure, social
housing, and climate and transition finance, where we can support
sustainable economic growth at scale.
And in Private Banking and Wealth, we helped more customers to save
and invest, strengthening our proposition to meet growing demand
for high-quality financial advice and
long-term planning, with assets under management
increasing by 20 per cent, including 50,000 customers investing
with us for the first time.
Our organic growth was complemented by the successful integration
of more than 1m Sainsbury's Bank customers and the £2.3bn
mortgage portfolio from Metro Bank. And, earlier this year, we
announced our acquisition of Evelyn Partners, set to complete in
the months ahead.
Alongside this, our second priority of bank-wide simplification
remains a critical driver of future growth. By reducing
complexity, improving productivity and enhancing customer
experiences, we create capacity to invest, innovate and serve
customers better.
Accelerated deployment of technology and AI has enabled faster
innovation, more personalised services and safer, more resilient
banking - but only when applied with judgement and
care.
Applied in the right way, the benefits for both customers and
colleagues are clear. It means quicker, more informed decisions,
smoother experiences, and more time for our people to focus on
where they add the greatest value.
That is how technology strengthens trust, by putting better tools
and information in the hands of our brilliant people.
AI can complement their judgement, experience and expertise. Done
responsibly, it improves decision-making and frees colleagues to focus on what
matters most: building trusted relationships and delivering better
outcomes for customers.
On our final strategic priority, our active risk and balance sheet
management remains a core strength. Strong capital generation is
underpinned by a resilient, well-diversified loan book that
continues to perform well.
This means we are well positioned to continue helping our customers
to invest and grow, whilst providing the advice, insight or support
they might need to navigate increasing uncertainty. As well as
investing in our business and delivering attractive returns to
shareholders.
We are already well into 2026, and we have started the year with
positive momentum and confidence in our priorities. Having already
raised our ambitions, we are now delivering against
them.
And despite the ongoing uncertainty, we continue to see potential
for long-term, sustainable growth across the UK economy.
Whether that's leveraging our leading positions in Social Housing
and infrastructure, bringing our financial planning and wealth
management expertise to more customers or supporting high growth
sectors such as technology, life sciences and advanced
manufacturing.
When I stood in this room last year at the Scottish Global
Investment Summit, I spoke about the importance of backing the
businesses that drive investment, productivity and job creation
across the UK. That also means helping businesses to look beyond
the UK, to trade, export and compete internationally.
These are businesses with ambition and the potential to grow -
operating across a wide range of sectors and regions, and often
navigating moments of real complexity as they expand. We are
helping turn ambition into action, giving businesses the confidence
to invest, the backing to innovate, and the support they need as
they adapt and scale. Opportunity is not confined to one part of
the country. There is real long-term potential across every nation
and region of the UK, and we are well placed to help unlock
it.
Against the shocks and sustained uncertainty, we have seen in
recent years the importance of strong, well-capitalised banks becomes even clearer. Not
simply because of the capital we provide, but because of the
certainty, stability and expertise we bring, underpinned by deep,
long-standing relationships in the communities we
serve.
As I've said before, strong economies need strong banks. Banks that
support growth through economic cycles, not just when conditions
are favourable. Long-term growth depends on confidence: confidence
that risks are understood and managed, that decisions are well
judged, and that banks will remain resilient in the face of
change.
This is not about moving faster at any cost, but about building on
the foundations we have put in place to manage economic, social and
environmental impact in order to support ambition responsibly and
sustainably. And it is this combination of resilience, discipline
and long-term perspective that allows us to support
investment, productivity and sustainable growth across the UK
economy, while delivering enduring value for our
shareholders.
Because what gives us confidence is not just the opportunity ahead,
but the clarity we have about where we are choosing to focus, and
how we are supporting customers along the way.
Our acquisition of Evelyn Partners is one example of this. At its
heart, this transaction is about responding to a growing customer
demand for financial planning and advice. We're entering what is
likely to be a defining decade for financial advice, with people
living longer, an historic generational wealth transfer under way
and technology changing how people save, plan and make decisions
about their long-term finances. Evelyn Partners transforms our
ability to meet those changing needs, deepens long-term
relationships, and broadens access to high-quality financial
planning and investment management.
So, as we continue through the next phase of our strategy, we are
building on the strengths we have established and stepping up our
ambition to make the most of the opportunities ahead.
Taken together, our strategic priorities will allow us to grow with
our customers, generate sustainable returns for our shareholders,
and support the wider economy. The near-term pressures are very
real, but we are confident and optimistic about our future, and
about the UK's long-term potential.
And we know that NatWest has an important role to play in helping
the UK to navigate challenge and grow, through our committed
colleagues, trusted relationships, and a clear sense of the
responsibilities to the customers and communities we serve. We want
to be a trusted partner to them and to the UK, whilst building
sustainable value in our business, and delivering for our
shareholders.
And if we return to the question I began with, whether we are
helping people, businesses and communities move forward with
confidence, I believe the answer is clear. We have momentum, but
there is no room for complacency. Customer expectations continue to
evolve, and the pace of change across our industry remains high.
What matters is that we have the foundations, the capability and
the discipline to anticipate change and respond at
pace.
Before I finish, I want to briefly say thank you. First, to our
colleagues across NatWest Group. Their commitment, professionalism
and focus on customers underpins everything we have achieved. And
also to our customers and our shareholders, for the trust you place
in NatWest Group.
This trust is the foundation of banking, and it is something we
never take for granted. So, thank you again for your continued
support.
Forward-looking statements
This announcement may include forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995, such as statements with respect to NatWest Group's
financial condition, results of operations and business, including
its strategic priorities, financial, investment and capital
targets, and climate and sustainability-related targets,
commitments and ambitions described herein. Statements that are not
historical facts, including statements about NatWest Group's
beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Words,
such as 'expect', 'estimate', 'project', 'anticipate', 'commit',
'believe', 'should', 'intend', 'will', 'plan', 'could', 'target',
'goal', 'objective', 'may', 'outlook', 'prospects' and similar
expressions or variations on these expressions are intended to
identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this
announcement may include forward-looking statements relating , but
not limited to: NatWest Group's outlook, guidance and targets
(including in relation to RoTE, total income, other operating
expenses, loan impairment rate, capital generation
pre-distributions, customer assets and liabilities growth rate,
cost-income ratio, CET1 ratio, RWA levels and payment of
dividends), its financial position, profitability and financial
performance, the implementation of its strategy, its access to
adequate sources of liquidity and funding, its regulatory capital
position and related requirements, its impairment losses and credit
exposures under certain specified scenarios, substantial regulation
and oversight, ongoing legal, regulatory and governmental actions
and investigations. Forward-looking
statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that
might cause actual results and performance to differ materially
from any expected future results or performance expressed or
implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause
or contribute to differences in current expectations include, but
are not limited to, future growth initiatives (including
acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic partnerships), the
outcome of legal, regulatory and governmental actions and
investigations, the level and extent of future impairments and
write-downs, legislative, political, fiscal and regulatory
developments, accounting standards, competitive conditions,
technological developments such as artificial intelligence,
interest and exchange rate fluctuations, general economic and
political conditions and uncertainties, exposure to third party
risk, operational risk, conduct risk, cyber, data and IT risk,
financial crime risk, key person risk and credit rating risk and
the impact of climate and sustainability-related risks and the
transitioning to a net zero economy. These and other factors, risks
and uncertainties that may impact any forward-looking statement or
NatWest Group plc's actual results are discussed in NatWest Group
plc's 2025 Annual Report on Form 20-F, NatWest
Group's Interim
Management Statement for
Q1 2026, and
its other public filings. The forward-looking statements contained
in this announcement speak only as of the date of this announcement
and NatWest Group plc does not assume or undertake any obligation
or responsibility to update any of the forward-looking statements
contained in this announcement, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent
legally required.
Name of contact and telephone number for queries:-
Investor Relations
+ 44 (0)207 672 1758
Media Relations
+44 (0)131 523 4205
Legal Entity Identifier:
2138005O9XJIJN4JPN90
SIGNATURE
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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NatWest Group plc
(Registrant)
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Date:
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28
April 2026
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By:
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/s/
Mark Stevens
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Name:
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Mark
Stevens
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Title:
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Assistant
Secretary
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