Today they have fallen 22% to a new low of 223p ..are they another Marconi..?



The chart looks like one long suicide note.

I wish I could! Selftrade pants today!

not sure they are floating around the 170 mark... i think it's a risky business

am waiting for +/-155

Cynic - if Lloyds are in advanced talks (first we've heard from yesterday) when do you think they'll make announcement of offer - do you think it would be sometime after close or a few days ?? I'm back in in at 1.63p cant see it falling lower than 1.60ish , but can see it flying on a an offer.

Bloomberg reckoned it may be tomorrow but judging by the sp, people obviously don't believe that.

Stop loss triggered - trying to get back in but wont let me on Barclays

147.8 seemed a good price just now, so i topped up

really risky IMHO
- HBOS told us (days ago), - they had plenty of cash - and now-?
I suspect (but do not know-so), that the "cash" they had was "access to" and it may have been a top-up from the Government/BoE to tide them over - - - - - - to avoid another NRK, esp as Labour has its Conference soon.
That being the case I suspect they are in trouble, hence the rumoured 49p-valuatiuon (purely a guess) and this dance with LLOY.
If it's true, then without LLOY there will be little to support HBOS as folk get their cash-savings out which effectivly stops HBOS from using LIBOR funds . . . . . hence it's likely to fall further, suspension and general mess all round.
-What would LLOY pay? - 3 don't be daft - if "thee and me" are nervous at sub-2 then LLOY will only pay 1 and if the Market is nervous at 1, they'll pay less. If that's the best they can get - how about LLOY shares?
Let's put a figure in the Ring . . . . 3xHBOS=1xLLOY, plus a Warrant . . . ?
There!
Remember Cash is King and LLOY appears to have the whip-hand....only my Opinion; don't shoot the messenger, however stupid.

Bloomberg saying the deal is being brokered as we speak by Darling and Brown.

Reading between the lines and looking at the sp suggest to me if the deal isn't done they will go bust.

IMO of course

Got burnt by NRK, not going down the same road again - yet!

from CNN (cnnfn.com) this morning .....

Embattled British mortgage lender HBOS PLC has confirmed that it is in advanced talks about being taken over Lloyds TSB PLC.

The brief Wednesday announcement gave no details and added that the talks may not lead to an agreement.

HBOS is the parent company of Halifax and the Bank of Scotland. It has come under pressure because of its exposure to the U.S. subprime mortgage market, raising questions about whether it can refinance its debt. The bank says it can borrow money whenever it needs to.

well imo, gov't would and could not dare to let one of the big 5 clearers go belly up

Agreed but they could nationalise it and shareholders then get nothing.

You know. I have a very bad feeling about all of this.....

Strawbs.

One arguement for remaining a Building Society. No shareholders to answer to.
Presumably the Nationwide is sitting pretty safe amongst all this turmoil.

On the way back down to 1

Some smaller buiding societies are going bust as well which is why there is consolidation in the sector. Looks as though nobody escapes.

Glad I couldn't get back in !!! I reckon there driving the price down so they can make a stupid offer like the one above, 'where will it all end " not bothered made my money. But what a few days and a few more to come i should think !

so why have all the major banks other than hsbc gone in reverse and hit the 10% down trigger therefore suspended

Did u buy in, cynic?

what an extraordinary day ...... sp in backwardation yet again or perhaps suspension for last 10/15 mins of trading and now showing as a close of 142.9