Britain’s largest lenders — Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group<br />and the Royal Bank of Scotland — are all expected to update investors on their fourth-quarter and full-year 2016 results this week.<br />When Tesla, the electric car company, reports fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday, investors will focus less on the previous quarter’s performance<br />and more on any updates the company’s chief executive, Elon Musk, gives about the forthcoming Model 3.<br />And the Royal Bank of Scotland said last month that it would set aside an additional $3.8 billion in the fourth quarter for investigations<br />and litigation in the United States related to mortgages.<br />Officials in recent weeks have said they are ready to move more quickly if necessary,<br />but investors are still betting the Fed will not raise rates again before June.<br />They appear unlikely to reach a deal after a bailout review,<br />but analysts and officials are hopeful of a “political agreement” that could be followed later by technical details.<br />Results have been mixed for European banks this earnings season as several lenders<br />have reported quarterly losses after taking large charges to resolve legal issues.<br />The Justice Department sued Barclays in December after the two sides failed to reach a settlement<br />over the bank’s sales of residential mortgage-backed securities despite months of talks.<br />Production is expected to start this year, and the small car is key to Tesla’s stated goal of producing 500,000 vehicles in 2018.
