Lloyds beats profit target as bank sets sights on more cost-cuttingLloyds Bank published its half-year update on Thursday. Lloyds Banking Group beat its profit forecast for the first half of the year as the bank’s top boss laid out plans to make further cost savings in the years ahead. The FTSE 100 lender – which owns the Bank of Scotland and Halifax – recorded a £4.3bn pre-tax profit in the first half of 2026, breezing past an internal analyst target of £4.1bn. Nunn also set his sights on wealth management, with a push to galvanise the mass affluent market. The bank also put £1.3bn towards its bonus pool for the first six months, up from £1bn the year prior.