Wednesday, Sep 17, 2008

Shares in Halifax Bank of Scotland have fallen by more than 40% as the lender remains in the market's spotlight.

Sky News: HBOS Shares Fall Heavily Again

Before trading Britain's biggest mortgage lender and savings institution had seen around £3bn wiped of its market value as the fallout from the collapse of Lehman Brothers continued.
Statements from both HBOS and the city regulator Financial Services Authority assured investors that the bank's finances were sound.

Posted by malct @ 09:15 AM (1266 views) Add Comment

27 Comments

1. malct said...

Sky actually report up 12% at 8.05

then down 15% - at 8.40

down 34% at 8.45

ans down 50% at 9.01

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 09:17AM Report Comment
 

2. Stevie Dee said...

HBOS in merger talks with Lloyds.. That is why the shares have rebounded. Now we are talking Dominoes, it is like it is criss-crossing the pond.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 09:20AM Report Comment
 

3. Stevie Dee said...

Dominoes Anyone?

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 09:20AM Report Comment
 

4. montesquieu said...

I hope HBOS go down. I'm moving my account in time for next month's salary - this week I tried to pay a Halifax credit card off the day before payment was due, using a Halifax debit card.

Well bugge*er me, 5 working days to 'clear' they told me (even electrons have to queue up slowly in this parallel universe), and I'll be up for late payment charges. According to two different people there's nothing at all wrong with that level of service and I should be grateful I have access to a credit card service at all! And no I can't speak to a supervisor because there's no issue to discuss.

Nothing but contempt for customers and I sincerely HOPE THEY FRY. I have one colleague who is already moving his money out (curiously, into Northern Rock, with the logic it's the safest bank in the UK at the moment).

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 09:24AM Report Comment
 

5. Stevie Dee said...

Unemployment up 81,000 too.. Geez all this news coming through.. Must have something to do with this months full moon.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 09:33AM Report Comment
 

6. Stevie Dee said...

Don't Panick the FSA are involved. Phew! That's a relief!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 09:35AM Report Comment
 

7. timmy t said...

According to Peston, sounds like it could be HBOSLTSB by tommorow!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 09:35AM Report Comment
 

8. jack c said...

LTSB are in advanced takeover/merger talks.

@montesquieu (Wednesday, September 17, 2008 09:17AM) "I hope HBOS go down" - huge implications at the slightest hint that this were to happen - think it through.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 09:36AM Report Comment
 

9. p. doff said...

HBOSLTSB. I hope not. Bad enough with Nationwide/Cheshire/A&L etc. It seems to be a waste of time cautiously spreading my money around with all these takeovers, bailouts and mergers.

HBOS shares under a quid a short while ago - but heading up a bit. Wonder if Andy Hornby got rid of all those rights issue shares he bought for £2-75.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 09:50AM Report Comment
 

10. mark said...

time for another run....

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 09:51AM Report Comment
 

11. jack c said...

UK Plc can't afford another run - Northern Rock is a minnow compared to HBOS

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 09:56AM Report Comment
 

12. p. doff said...

Blow me! They've just shot up to over £2-13 in a few minutes.

The company is suddenly making more profit and paying higher dividends!!!!!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:00AM Report Comment
 

13. p. doff said...

What's going on? Must be a glich - says 96p now.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:04AM Report Comment
 

14. jack c said...

£2.15 current HBOS price

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:06AM Report Comment
 

15. Rm96696 said...

HBOS has sound finances? How can the finances of anyone who has lent massively to the u.k. property market be sound? We haven't even begun to see the real meltdown that is on the way.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:10AM Report Comment
 

16. last_days_of_disco said...

This is nail biting stuff. I am on the edge of my seat.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:19AM Report Comment
 

17. d'oh said...

On IGIndex the share is now crossed sell at 200, but at 180...of course it is phone trading only now, so no chance of arbitraging :-(

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:25AM Report Comment
 

18. george monsoon said...

Price is up and down like a hoe's knickers at the moment.. I bet they have the paramedics on standby outside the exchange.

Lowest recorded - 88p Oh dear!!!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:50AM Report Comment
 

20. nooneo said...

montesquieu @ 4 said...

"I hope HBOS go down" - I love the shadenfraud in you're thinking. Just because "Nothing but contempt for customers and I sincerely HOPE THEY FRY" - Childish. Wanting a HPC is one thing. Wanting people to lose their homes and businesses and savings is just awful. Please pack this "It's my ball and you can't play with it" mentality.

We are in danger here, of losing perfectly SOUND banks because they have temporary CASH FLOW problems that are PIDDLE compared to their ASSETS.

Look if LLoyds TSB want to buy the thing it's because:

A. They think it's a pretty safe bet/deal
B. They think the british banking system is basically sound.
C. They have the funds to do this without it being a problem.

The last point just proves that at least LloydsTSB appear pretty solid. Whatever crap comes from the US it is only a matter of time before it works through the system. I personally ain't holding my breath waiting for a UK bank to go under (and one may do, eventually). In my thinking any real problems with UK banks is somewhere between 6-18 months off when our own "sub-prime" scenario starts to bite when people really stat defaulting on their mortgages.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 11:58AM Report Comment
 

22. nooneo said...

George Mosoon

You didn't close the link tag properly I have attempted to do it here

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:02PM Report Comment
 

23. montesquieu said...

@nooneo

Not that I'm suggesting other UK banks are all that much better - but HBOS have treated their customers with contempt for a long time, and, it seems, encouraged that attitide at an ever lower level in the business, resulting in my experience the other day (and lots of other experiences which I won't trouble to share - except to say that even now, whatever it is years later after the H-Bos merger, their systems are still a complete mess).

This contempt starts at the top; unfortunately in an agreed handover HBOS bosses will walk away loaded. But I'd be delighted if those responsible for delivering sh*it customer service - be it ops managers, uppity call centre staff, arrogant gits in middle management who make customer-crushing policy decisions, or idiots in IT who wouldn't know a joined-up IT strategy if came up and bit them on the ars*e - get to suffer, because they deserve it, all of them

Do I want job losses at HBOS? You bet I do. Little modern-day morality tale.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:27PM Report Comment
 

24. p. doff said...

23. montesquieu said...Do I want job losses at HBOS? You bet I do.

Actually, I feel quite sorry for any bank staff. Endless pressure, appraisals and targets. Pushy managers, cross sales, and, fairly low basic salary for those at the sharp end.

These people don't deserve job losses.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:37PM Report Comment
 

25. handle_it said...

I heard Lloyds were gorging away (all be it quietly) on the SLS ? Not sure they are as clean as it appears.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:45PM Report Comment
 

26. nooneo said...

montesquieu @ 23..

"Do I want job losses at HBOS? You bet I do. Little modern-day morality tale."

Well I hope whatever "bank" you transfer your money/debt too doesn't go under and make you poor.

As far as I can tell HBOS has consistently offered the some of the most competitive mortgage deals (and savings deals) over the last 5 years. I suspect that's what drew you to the bank.

I hated the fookin tories mate (and both my perants where Irish and from the republic) but I didn't think it was "cool" when the friggin IRA started blowing them up. I also wouldn't want a bank to go under 'cos a few people in call centres treated me badly (let's face it the call centre culture is a nightmare of people shirking responsibility and never actually allowing customers to get the decision makers).

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:45PM Report Comment
 

27. Ijjhall said...

Any merger will see big job losses - HBOS have over 1100 branches alone never mind Lloyds so mass shedding can be expected. Understand merged HBOS/LLoyds will now own nearly half of UK mortgages business..surely some competition issues here though already hearing on the news that Brown has strongarmed FSA to waive through any proposed merger...

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:50PM Report Comment
 

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