HBOS detractors jump the gun

The bad news has been piling up at HBOS, but we shouldn’t call in the movers just yet.

HBOS rights issue: Nailing the blame game

HBOS is now the UK’s second-biggest mortgage lender after Spanish-owned Abbey claimed 25% of the market in the first half of 2008. The Scottish bank is trading well below book value, and reported in its half-year results, a drop in profits of 58% year on year. A £4 billion ($8 billion) rights issue fell flat with all but 8% of shareholders (see Bank rights issues: A right mess of issues, Euromoney, August 2008), and there are hefty funding requirements.

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