surely BB on the takeover watch list currently todays news near to years
low with 8% yield bit of a no brainer.............

What's the significance of Barclay's buying over 8.5mil BB. shares!
Just came up on RNS!

Is it time to buy?

12% yield, and a depreciated sector, prob oversold...

Nice one for the ISA with takeover potential.

No comments here (for 3-months!)... as this Bank//Mortgage Woes unwind....today B&B sells abt 20% to private Equity Co, and the shares come off temp. suspension at 66p ( suggested on Radio, but my delayed screen still shows 74p ).
Eiother way this looks pretty bad - careless etc. and I wonder what spin the execs will put on this "....advancing backwards"...?
Can anyone suggest a reason for investing at these levels?
-OR- is it likley to drop below that magic 50p-level?
EDIT=- This is just below the anticipated "Rights Issue" expected to be at 55p. However, the sp is still falling as Markets worry that things might get worse, esp. if retail investors take fright and don't take up their "Rights".....
Currently, it's the Sell price that's 66p , with Buy about 87p - indeed this is a wide spread for such a Large Cap. and I suspect this indicates MM's are worried they may get lumbered with unsold stock....hence the low Sell-price to discourage Sellers.
...Well, I for one won't pay 80-odd Pence if the sell price is nearly 20% lower.......Oh deary.

yes, what a complete shambles. Only thing is that Private Equity may be taking a punt at these levels in order to sell on in the future subject of course under any agreement made on taking the stake. Looks all a bit desperate and not one I would consider at present.

The biggest worry is if depositors start withdrawing funds just to be on the safe side.

Shh -best keep that to yourself halifax, you will only upset Gordon.

Halifax - interesting msg you give . . . but what-if these deposits are put into the BB. Stocks ( in the Rights Issue)...?
With good timing and some luck, depositors "might" be better served by investing.

The spectre of NRK is with us still and I suspect that queue-footage will run-and-run for the next 20-years, esp. to finance students, showing just how easy it is to turn a problem... into a panic.

it wont worry gordon brown, halifax......after all he uses OUR MONEY, not his own.

another 50 billion for banks, 100 for northern rock, maybe b and b is next to get tens of billions

i wish someone would give me a billion or 2!

this country must be super rich with tthe amount of tens of billions we dish to out to basket cases

dont mention europe either!

The major problems BB is confronted by namely rapidly rising defaults and the increasing cost of wholesale funding will decimate their profitability. Why would anybody increase their shareholding now in a company heading for the rocks whose captain has just jumped overboard? Throwing good money after bad springs to mind.

Looks like a sell-off based on a broken Business Model....and some US investors thinks they have some value at 55p
That should tell punters that today's sp is 50% overpriced!
Oh deary.

Still, I expect the Directors will have a good Bonus!!!
...Rewards for Failure..ringing in my ears.

EDIT 6 June08 - Directors buy abt. 400k-worth at somewhere between 70-75p
-as a result the sp has gone up today= 74p(buy) - but despite this we have the spectre of the bargain 55p. - this is significantly below the current price...NOTE that Morgan Stanley suggested 50p as target price - so this might be the reason for the Dir. Buys- i.e. before the Official Rights issue.........to show their support etc....however, this is likley to be a blip, if the Co woes are really bad.
I think this says....wait.
Interesting comments in IC today(Friday 6Jn08))

BB. has something to hide...


Bradford & Bingley denies Cowdery access to books for due diligence - report
AFX

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Bradford & Bingley Plc. on Wednesday night denied entrepreneur Clive Cowdery access to its books to carry out due diligence as part of his proposed rescue plan for the embattled mortgage lender, the Financial Times reported.

The board of Bradford & Bingley met on Wednesday to discuss new proposals put forward by Cowdery's investment vehicle Resolution which would see 400 million pounds being injected into the mortgage lender.

The board rejected Cowdery's request to carry out due diligence because of the additional uncertainty and delay his proposal would create, the paper said.

Resolution's proposal rejected on Tuesday would have usurped Texas Pacific Group's plans to take a 23 percent stake in the company, and Bradford & Bingley's plans to raise a further 258 million pounds by selling new shares to existing investors.

BB. is digging its own grave now...now dropped from 82p to 65p.


Resolution withdraws Bradford & Bingley proposals on management resistance
AFX


LONDON (Thomson Financial News) - Resolution Ltd said that it has withdrawn its share placing proposal for Bradford & Bingley Plc., due to opposition from the board of the troubled buy-to-let lender.

The bid vehicle, run by Clive Cowdery, said in a statement Friday that the 'entrenched position' of the B&B board has 'prevented constructive engagement necessary to finalise this proposal'.

The proposal, rejected on Tuesday, would have usurped Texas Pacific Group's plans to take a 23 percent stake in the company, and Bradford & Bingley's plans to raise a further 258 million pounds by selling new shares to existing investors.

Resolution added that its bid was supported by investors.

good job i did not buy may be i will buy at .05p

The terms of the rights issue mean Citi and UBS as underwriters will end up controlling BB if shareholders do not take up their rights, which are at today's sp currently worthless. Some shareholders might be pleased this may happen but the institutional shareholders may disagree, looks like the end game for BB is near.

Market cap now down to 275m any sign of the "white knight" or even a "black horse"?

oh well, thats another financial down the pan.....nrk, now this.....reckon al. could be next

how much of taxpayers money do the gov need for this.....tens of billions for nrk, now potentially more going bust

this is steaming ahead today...........cant see the gov letting any bank / building society or major housebuilder go bust.....pity i never bought in last week

DITTO/