NatWest has revealed its profits swelled to top £2 billion in the first quarter of 2026 as it expects to be boosted by interest rates staying higher, despite cautioning over a worsening outlook for the UK economy. The banking group, which also includes Royal Bank of Scotland and Coutts, reported an operating pre-tax profit of £2 billion for the first three months of the year. This was about 12% higher than the £1.8 billion it made over the same period a year ago. It grew its lending book and customer deposits increased while the bank said it had made more than £100 million of extra cost savings in the first quarter. Furthermore, like other high street lenders, NatWest expects to be bolstered by interest rates staying higher for longer, meaning it can generate more from loans. As a result, it was now expecting to generate income at the “top end” of its guided range of between £17.2 billion and £17.6 billion for the year.…