Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LSE:LLOY) and HSBC Holdings PLC (LSE:HSBA) are expected to lead the sector with strong buybacks and signals for more special shareholder distributions when banks report in the coming weeks. Reporting for the sector season starts with NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG) next Friday, 16 February, then continues the week after with Barclays PLC on Tuesday, HSBC on Wednesday, Lloyds on Thursday and Standard Chartered PLC (LSE:STAN) is the last of the blue-chip lenders on Friday 23. A softer finish to 2023 has generally been well-flagged, said Barclays research analyst Aman Rakkar in a sector preview, and subdued guidance for 2024 should be expected.