Not sure if this thread will catch on, because no-one here seems to have much to say about individual british banks, but thought i would add this header to see if we could discuss dividend yields, exposure to sup-prime, good ones, bad ones, take-over targets, when the crisis will end? do you think they have learnt their lesson? I, for one, as a property developer have seen first hand how much stricter they have become with lending habits, struggling to get decent rates for re-mortgaging, basically they appear scared to lend to anyone.

Funny how sentiment can change so quickly, can't see how they can rank hbos above lloy, but what does anyone know any more. see below.

Goldman Sachs has raised HBOS Plc. to 'buy' from 'neutral' and downgraded Lloyds TSB Group Plc. to 'sell' from 'neutral' in a banking review, market sources said.

In a note published this morning, Goldman Sachs said that it is upgrading HBOS as it believes that liquidity concerns have been overdone and more than just the structural changes the domestic UK banks are facing are priced in.

The broker added that it is downgrading Lloyds TSB as it believes that recent outperformance more than reflects its perceived defensiveness.

Elsewhere, Goldman Sachs said that Barclays has been removed from its conviction list but remains a 'sell' as current prices do not reflect declining profitability and likely further earnings downgrades.

Goldman Suchs must hold an awful lot of HBOS shares.

You may be right, even though HBOS directors have brought in last week, I wouldn't feel comfortable following them. I would still like to buy lloy lower down.

B&B next target for the shorters following HBOS last month.

Speculation in the press (business section of S/Times) that B&B may be looking to have a rights issue.

Bad news not good for shareholders tomorrow will not be a good day for investors.

I must admit if I was a longterm shareholder in B&B, I would be happy to have a rights issue. Yes the shares would go down on the announcement, but for the longterm, at least they could get in first and take positive action. Best to take action now, rather than leave it to late.

rights issue has been denied by the Company. However, for both the S/Times and S/Telegraph to have mentioned the possibility, presumably there was some close contact . If there has been a leak, this in itself could ruin the timing of any issue since a fall in sp, as a result,could erode the discount the issue price would have with the issue price. I do not hold bb. but would agree with spitfire43 that it is better to take action sooner than later if further funds are required. Large institutional holders I believe include LloydsTSB and Legal and General, so I suspect they would have to agree with any proposal in order to gauge support.

Have you noticed that when times are good, companies can't be bothered going to share holders for a rights issue. They just go for placings, so denying small share holders the chance to take part.

Paragon had a rights issue a few month's back, and it was taken up with over 90% acceptance, I would like to see the press run some articles on this, and remind companies when the good times return.

Golman Sachs warn of bloodbath in coming months.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/04/14/bcngold114.xml

Thanks mitzy, a little cheery bedtime reading for me.

Interesting article, and I'm sure it's spot on unfortunately, I will continue to slowly buy into high yielding blue chips, but very slowly over the next 18/24 month's. And go long or short when the opportunity present's.

I seem to be more bearish as time goes by, hope I can snap out of it when time is right. If not may have to see a doctor, and ask him to give me something.

Now to bed with a nice pot of honey.........

Its funny but GS were predicting a oil price of $110 a barrel in 2010... its that today in fact its $112 they got that one wrong.

Best short the banks and airlines and hold oils.

cheers.

banks are also not negotiating on any credit card debts............so unless you can pay, then you will go bankrupt.
i notice credit card debt has gone from 1.2 billion to 2.8billion.
Now with HBOS having majority of housing mortgages, if people are struggling with paying, then they might use credit card.......and so the struggle continues.

i can see hundreds of thousands losing their homes.........or being bankrupt either this year or next year...........oh, and poles and other folk will soon see uk aint that great and go back home where theres plenty of work.
And is weak too so that helps people leave uk too.....all people leaving will drive house prices down much further.....and these folk mortgsages getting higher and higher but property getting less and less.

Theres predictions of at least 25% down in house prices and up to 50%.
Maybe i'll buy a house in 18 months or 2 years time when half a million folk are out on the street.

I feel really cheered up now.

Wow, thanks!

And I thought I was miserable.
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i aint miserable.......its just the way things are going to be in UK. The question is how many are going to be on street.........is it 60,000 homes x say 2.5 people per home = 150,000 on street or is it up to 2 million homes x 2.5 people per property = 5 million on street.....haha.

as long as these folk voted labour, i wouldnt mind.
i predicted the doomsday forecast 4 years ago in my office and folk called me pessimistic....amongst other things.
Remember, US prices aint gone up as much as UK. House prices will go down at least 25%....maybe 50%. And there wont be much increase in property for at least 3 years, probably 4.
If one looks at property, there has only been increase of 3% per year until this gov came to power where its up 179% in 10 years. Its been politically driven........you cant live in never never land.

Most people are apathetic and dont know or care about what happens in UK....and so are not aware of tax increases, stealth taxes or other creepy dodgy things this gov does. You reap what you sow in life ultimately. If you vote for crap govrnment.....then if you get crap, why are folk complaining.

Crap in = crap out

A good time to be in BEG, TNO or VTS then, I chose TNO a few weeks back they haven't moved, but BEG are up around 10%.
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From a more optimistic perspective lower house prices are good for first time buyers or people wanting to step up the ladder, they have to borrow less

FTB's will need a decent deposit and the lending rates will be unfavourable. The banks and building societies are in part (large) to blame for the current situation for bombarding households over recent years with offers of cheap money without any thought as to whether the payments could be made. This is not to exonerate the individuals concerned for having the breaking strain of a kit-kat, and a lack of regard as to how they would make the repayments. Unfortunately the banks management will not be the ones suffering.
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falco

problem is house prices need to PLUMMET for 1st time buyers....as mervyn king has ACTUALLY STATED THIS.

to go up 179%, then u need about 50% decline to give 1st time buyers a chance.....oh, ok.....lets say average price now in uk of 200,000 and maybe end of next year, price is 100,000. then maybe 1st time buyers will have a chance.....but millions of people will people will be crying then.......as i say, what goes up, must come down

oh, and banks should be ashamed what they have done esp HBOS. HBOS should be sacked with immediate effect.....they increasing rates more and more making housing crisis a TOTAL CRISIS. as i say, millions will be re-possessed or bankrupt.