Reuters – borrowing costs dampened banking shares with Barclays (BARC.L: Quote , Profile , Research ) losing 1.4 percent and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L: Quote , Profile , Research ) slipping 0.9 percent, while HSBC (HSBA.L: Quote , Profile , Research ) and HBOS
FTSE flat despite London explosion, telecoms firm
Reuters – HBOS (HBOS.L: Quote , Profile , Research ) eased 0.4 percent, Northern Rock (NRK.L: Quote , Profile , Research ) slipped 0.3 percent and Barclays (BARC.L: Quote , Profile , Research ) fell 0.7 percent. Continued Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Barratt leads housebuilder consolidation
Times Online – Philip Davies, the Linden founder and chief executive, stands to make about 20 million from a sale, five years after clinching a 73 million buyout of the business with backing from HBOS. Mark Clare, Barratt s new chief executive, and Mark
Barratt Developments to buy Wilson Bowden for 2.2 billion
Herald Tribune – The takeover surpasses the 1.1 billion purchase of McCarthy & Stone in August by HBOS and the retail entrepreneur Tom Hunter as well as the 643 million Persimmon-Westbury deal. Homes by Barratt sell for an average of 175,400, Wilson’s for 203
London shares continue to rise midmorning, as defence, retailer gains
Forbes – Alliance & Leicester took on 14 pence at 1,108, Bradford & Bingley rose 7-1/4 pence at 470-3/4, Royal Bank of Scotland firmed 22 pence at 2,073 and HBOS was 14 pence better at 1,136. And in the insurance sector, better-than-expected full-year sales
Euro hits record peak against yen
CNN – There is nothing in these surveys that suggests rates don’t go up in the first quarter of this year, probably in March,” said Mark Miller, economist at HBOS Treasury Services, noting that exports had held up well. The European Central Bank is widely
Poll: SNP set to seize power at Holyrood
Scotsman – ALEX Salmond is on track to take Scotland to the brink of independence, according to a startling new poll which shows the SNP has opened up a clear lead over Labour. With just eight months to go until the Holyrood elections, the party has established