The latest Investing Matters Podcast episode with London Stock Exchange Group's Chris Mayo has just been released. Listen here

Less Ads, More Data, More Tools Register for FREE

Pin to quick picksBarclays Share News (BARC)

Share Price Information for Barclays (BARC)

London Stock Exchange
Share Price is delayed by 15 minutes
Get Live Data
Share Price: 215.85
Bid: 215.80
Ask: 215.90
Change: 3.20 (1.50%)
Spread: 0.10 (0.046%)
Open: 212.75
High: 216.20
Low: 211.50
Prev. Close: 212.65
BARC Live PriceLast checked at -

Watchlists are a member only feature

Login to your account

Alerts are a premium feature

Login to your account

RPT-UPDATE 1-UK lawmakers mulling option of RBS breakup-sources

Tue, 04th Jun 2013 11:40

* Commission likely to set out range of options for RBS

* Commission members including Lawson supportive of breakup

* Unlikely to make specific recommendations on RBS's future

* MPs reviewing final draft of report before talks next week

* Final recommendations expected week commencing June 17

By Matt Scuffham and Steve Slater

LONDON, June 4 (Reuters) - Splitting up part-nationalisedRoyal Bank of Scotland (RBS) will be put forward as anoption by lawmakers examining standards in British banking,political and industry sources said on Tuesday.

The bank's division would allow its toxic assets to begrouped into a "bad bank" separate from its profitable business,freeing it to make the increased lending that the economy needs,but has been rejected so far since it could be complicated andexpensive for the government to administer.

The sources said the Parliamentary Commission on BankingStandards is likely to lay out the pros and cons of such a move,but will stop short of making outright recommendations on thebank's future when it publishes its final report later in June.

Britain set up the cross-party commission last year to lookat ethics in banking, after Barclays Plc was fined overthe manipulation of global interest rate benchmarks.

Some members of the commission, notably former Britishfinance minister Nigel Lawson, are known to support hiving offRBS's toxic assets into a bad bank.

Yet the commission took little public evidence on the issue,making other members reluctant to make a firm recommendation onthe matter.

Outgoing Bank of England governor Mervyn King brought theissue to the fore when he recommended a breakup of RBS in thelast of the inquiry's 73 witness sessions.

RBS has already undergone a massive restructuring since thegovernment pumped in 45.8 billion pounds ($70 billion) in 2008to keep it afloat, leaving taxpayers with an 81 percent stake.

COST-BENEFIT

The separate cross-party Treasury Select Committee, on whichfive members of the Banking Standards Commission also sit, hasrecommended the finance ministry should examine a possiblebreakup and produce a cost-benefit analysis.

But the Treasury has yet to respond to that request.

Finance Minister George Osborne has said he would thinktwice about breaking up RBS because of the expense andcomplexity involved.

Britain is looking at options for re-privatising both RBSand Lloyds Banking Group Plc, in which it holds a 39percent stake. Offloading its shares in Lloyds would be morestraightforward, given they are trading above the price at whichthe government considers it would break even.

Shares in RBS are trading well below the government'sbreak-even price and Treasury officials are looking at otheroptions, such as a mass share giveaway to the British public.

Members of the Banking Standards Commission are reviewing afinal draft of their 600-page report and will meet next Mondayand Tuesday to debate final recommendations.

Sources said the draft report has been prepared by officialsworking for the commission's chairman, Conservative lawmakerAndrew Tyrie, and was handed down to the nine other lawmakers onthe commission late last week.

The draft incorporates proposals relating to all issues onwhich the commission has heard evidence and not all of them willmake it into the final report.

Sources have said Tyrie is aiming to publish the report inthe week starting June 17, but that is subject to delay if aconsensus cannot be agreed. Members of the commission have saidthey want unanimous agreement on the final recommendations.

More News
26 Nov 2023 09:49

PRESS: Lloyds Banking mulls jobs cuts to trim costs - Reuters

(Alliance News) - Lloyds Banking Group PLC is putting 2,500 jobs at risk as part of cost-cutting plans, Reuters reported on Friday.

Read more
24 Nov 2023 16:56

LONDON MARKET CLOSE: Pound jumps above USD1.26 mark on Black Friday

(Alliance News) - Global markets saw a lacklustre session this Black Friday, with European markets edging just slightly higher.

Read more
24 Nov 2023 15:03

London close: Stocks mixed on quiet Friday

(Sharecast News) - Market performance showed a mixed trend in London today, with movements relatively subdued after the Thanksgiving holiday across the pond.

Read more
24 Nov 2023 11:42

LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: Stocks edge lower in quiet Thanksgiving trade

(Alliance News) - Stock prices in London were down midday on Friday, in a quiet day of trade as the Thanksgiving holiday saw global markets "hit the snooze button."

Read more
24 Nov 2023 09:20

PRESS: Barclays works on plan to cut 2,000 back office jobs - Reuters

(Alliance News) - Barclays PLC is working on restructuring plans that could involve cutting as many as 2,000 jobs to save GBP1 billion, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Read more
24 Nov 2023 08:41

Barclays looking to save up to £1bn; 2,000 jobs at risk - report

(Sharecast News) - Barclays is reportedly working on plans to save as much as £1bn, which could result in as many as 2,000 job losses, mainly in the bank's back office.

Read more
23 Nov 2023 11:28

Greencore signs new GBP350 million sustainability-linked facility

(Alliance News) - Greencore Group PLC on Thursday said it signed a new five-year GBP350 million sustainability-linked revolving credit facility.

Read more
21 Nov 2023 06:24

Banks accused of 'lack of transparency' over green finance activities

(Alliance News) - Europe's 20 largest banks have been accused of a "structural lack of transparency" over their green finance activities.

Read more
17 Nov 2023 15:18

Barclays exploring acquisition of Tesco Bank - report

(Sharecast News) - Barclays has reportedly been exploring a potential acquisition of Tesco's banking operations.

Read more
17 Nov 2023 09:55

LONDON BROKER RATINGS: Shore cuts Sage; Barclays raises NatWest

(Alliance News) - The following London-listed shares received analyst recommendations on Friday and Thursday.

Read more
12 Nov 2023 20:09

Sunday newspaper round-up: Tax fraud scandal, Royal Mail, Metro Bank

(Sharecast News) - More claims against banks and individuals operating in the City linked to the so-called Cum-Ex case are likely. The tax fraud scandal - Europe's largest ever - is estimated to have cost German taxpayers alone almost £10bn. Among the lenders being investigated are Barclays, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, BNP and Nomura, together with law firms and auditors. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that Danish authorities could pursue an alleged £1.4bn Cum-Ex fraud in London. The decision may open the floodgates to to claims from regulators in other European countries. - Financial Mail on Sunday

Read more
3 Nov 2023 08:43

LONDON MARKET OPEN: FTSE 100 climbs as focus turns to US nonfarms

(Alliance News) - Stock prices in London opened on the up on Friday, looking set to round off a positive week on the up, though a red-hot US jobs report could keep a lid on gains.

Read more
27 Oct 2023 17:08

LONDON MARKET CLOSE: Poorly-received earnings weigh on European stocks

(Alliance News) - Stock prices in London closed mixed on Friday, hurt by share price falls for the banking sector, while investors also digested underwhelming earnings elsewhere and a US inflationary reading.

Read more
27 Oct 2023 12:06

LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: Oil majors lift FTSE 100 but banks fall

(Alliance News) - Stock prices in London were up at midday on Friday, as the FTSE 100 was led higher by oil majors, tracking a rise in the Brent price.

Read more
27 Oct 2023 09:12

LONDON MARKET OPEN: NatWest trims outlook and admits Farage "failings"

(Alliance News) - London's FTSE 100 opened slightly lower on Friday, as banking stocks weighed on the index, with NatWest the worst of the lot after admitting to "serious failings" following a review of the controversial closure of UK politician Nigel Farage's Coutts account.

Read more

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.

Quickpicks are a member only feature

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.