All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
Swindon-based Nationwide Building Society is the nation’s biggest retail bank, if you go by number of branches. That metric might not count for as much as it used to, but nonetheless, Nationwide was big enough to acquire Virgin Money (which itself had only just merged with Clydesdale Bank) in 2004.
Because it’s owned by its banking customers, it’s not publicly-traded. Talks about demutualising and going public on an exchange (which would have meant a quick buck for members) got fairly serious in 1998, and then again in 2001, but were ultimately thwarted.
Some UK banks and you can buy shares in
| Bank stock | Icon | 1-year performance (to Jul. '25) | 5-year performance (to Jul. '25) | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NatWest Group PLC (NWG) |  |
52.17% | 275.17% | Invest Capital at risk |
| Barclays PLC (BARC) |  |
54.39% | 184.18% | Invest Capital at risk |
| Standard Chartered PLC (STAN) |  |
76.25% | 187.89% | Invest Capital at risk |
| Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LLOY) |  |
30.81% | 148.43% | Invest Capital at risk |
| Metro Bank PLC (MTRO) |  |
261.96% | 16.21% | Invest Capital at risk |
How to invest
- Choose a platform. If you’re a beginner, find a trading app that suits your investing style.
- Open your account. You’ll usually need your ID, bank details and national insurance (NI) number.
- Deposit funds. You’ll need to fund your account with a bank transfer, debit card or credit card (or any other method supported by your trading platform).
- Research the Banking shares you want. Your investing platform should provide the latest information and research but you can use other resources.
- Search for your bank stocks. You can find the banking stocks by searching for the name or stock ticker symbol.
- Buy your shares. Create an order to buy shares and you’re now an investor in the banking sector. It’s that simple.
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