Santander may consider purchasing Metro Bank’s residential mortgage portfolio if it is put up for sale, the lending group’s chief executive revealed.
Reuters reported that in a media briefing yesterday, Hector Grisi said: “We have to review it, we have to analyse it and then we will make a decision whether we go ahead or not, but it is always important to analyse it.
“Today the truth is that I don’t know whether Metro will end up doing something or not, whether it will sell a portfolio or not.”
Earlier this month, Metro confirmed media reports stating it was holding discussions to potentially sell £3bn of its residential mortgage book after its application to use internal risk modelling for residential mortgage lending was delayed by the regulator. Last week, it was reported that it was seeking bids by November.
Metro Bank has been on a mission to reposition itself since it was found to be miscalculating its mortgage book risk in 2019. This month, it secured a £925m finance package which it said would enable it to grow its assets in the coming years. The challenger bank also hinted at a move towards specialist mortgages and commercial lending.
Shekina is the deputy editor at Mortgage Solutions and commercial editor at Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions. She has nearly eight years of experience in the B2B publishing market, having previously covered the hospitality, retail, pet, accounting and jewellery sectors.
Shekina has worked for Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions for almost five years. Here, she covers the market’s breaking news stories, engages with professionals in the sector, and oversees any commercially agreed content in partnership with mortgage-related companies.
This includes presenting webinars and hosting roundtable discussions on developing themes in the mortgage sector.
She is an NCTJ-trained journalist and was nominated for the Headline Money Awards Mortgage Journalist of the Year in 2021.
In her spare time, Shekina likes to read, travel, listen to music and socialise with friends.
She currently reports on current events in the mortgage market and liaises with financial clients to produce sponsored content.
Follow her on Twitter at @ShekinaMS
