Lloyds also announced a £1 billion share buybackCEO Charlie Nunn also outlined the lender’s next plan to grow its core businesses and harness technology such as AI to cut costs. The bank’s latest strategic plan, which will run through to 2030, will see it evolve its existing businesses, rather than a radical shift in direction. The bank’s profit for January to June was above an average analyst forecast of £4.12 billion and the bank’s £3.5 billion profit in the same period last year. Lloyds’ results continue a strong run of earnings from Britain’s major banks, which have benefited in recent years from higher interest rates, resilient credit quality and robust capital generation. Nunn declined to take a position on any such tax plans when asked by reporters on Thursday, saying the bank would “wait and see”.