Bradford & Bingley could be forced to give up its independence, City analysts said yesterday as the FSA dusted down contingency plans in the event the buy-to-let lender's shares endured sharp falls, reports The Guardian .
Hopes that a white knight would mount a £400m takeover offer lifted the shares 17% in early trading but they ended 0.5p higher at 28.25p when no bid emerged. A range of names - including Santander of Spain, HSBC and Barclays - have been linked to the lender. Speculation about a possible transaction rose further when Carla Antunes da Silva, banking analyst at JP Morgan, said: "We do not believe it is a viable standalone entity." B&B, which raised £400m through a troubled rights issue last month, insisted there was no cause for concern. "Our funding foundations are solid and we are one of...
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