Lloyds Share News (LLOY)

Royal Mail has hinted at legal action unless regulator Ofcom stops rival TNT Post UK "cherry-picking" its most lucrative mail delivery services. At the first annual shareholders' meeting in Royal Mail's 500-year history, a union official urged it to consider seeking a judicial review of the issue and Donald Brydon, chairman, did not rule it out. - Financial TimesBalfour Beatty, the UK's biggest construction company, is in talks with rival Carillion about a potential £3.05 billion merger to create a "market leading" giant. One source said that talks between the two sides are at a "medium" stage but there are still key terms of the combination to be decided on. - The TelegraphBailed-out Lloyds Banking Group appears poised to become the latest financial firm to be penalised for rigging Libor and is said to be facing a fine of between £200m and £300m. The bank, 24% owned by the taxpayer, is expected to pay the fine to the City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, as well as regulators in the US, which are involved the extensive investigation into the potential rigging of the benchmark interest rate. - The GuardianBarclays is attempting to have fraud allegations surrounding its so-called 'dark pool' trading platform thrown out of court. The British bank on Thursday filed a motion to have the major lawsuit, from Eric Schneiderman, the New York Attorney General, dismissed. Mr Schneiderman, the leading law official for the state of New York, alleged that the bank had engaged in "a flagrant pattern of fraud, deception and dishonesty with Barclays clients and the investing public".- The TelegraphUK house prices grew at the slowest pace in 18 months in July, a new survey has showed, suggesting that 'bigger forces' are at work in the property market other than the usual summer slowdown. Property analyst Hometrack said national property prices increased by 0.1 per cent this month, down from 0.3% in June and 0.5% in May. This is the lowest level of monthly growth seen since February 2013. - Daily Mail