Lloyds faces housing chill as profit growth stalls

STORY: Lloyds Bank reported flat profit growth for 2022 on Wednesday (February 22).

The British bank said it made $8.4 billion last year.

That was the same as a year before and in line with analyst forecasts.

While it also declared a 14% rise in revenues to around $21.8 billion.

But the bank warned falling house prices, competition on savings and rising costs could hurt future returns.

Lloyds - which is Britain's biggest mortgage lender - said home loan volumes had fallen to around $1.4 billion a day across the sector.

It was previously at $1.8 billion.

But the volumes had recovered from levels in the weeks following the government's 'mini-budget' last September.

It dropped to well under a billion a day at that point, and the ensuing turmoil was a factor in the downfall of then Prime Minister Liz Truss.

The bank added UK house prices would likely drop 7% this year.

It comes with British buyers face high energy prices, food and mortgage bills.

Lloyds shares dropped around 2% after the report, but recovered to trade higher later on Wednesday.