Turner eyes power to block hostile bank takeovers

Laura Miller
clock •

FSA chairman Adair Turner may ask the government for the power to block hostile buyouts in the banking sector in a bid to prevent aggressive acquisitions from disrupting financial stability.

He told a newswire "aggressive, contested" takeovers do not allow for as much due diligence as agreed takeovers. This may be a reasonable risk in the non-banking sector but not in the financial sector, he said. "Whereas you can see the primary responsibility of the board of directors of a non-banking company being to maximize shareholder value and to take risks, the fact is that for banks the downside to a society of getting it wrong is a hugely important factor," Turner said last night. Following public pressure, the FSA will publish a synthesis report by April on its investigatio...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Your profession

Feel Good Friday: EQ Investors team completes 17.5-mile charity walk

Feel Good Friday: EQ Investors team completes 17.5-mile charity walk

For Carney’s Community

Professional Adviser
clock 02 October 2026 • 1 min read
'Affluent advice gap' sees unadvised individuals sit on £1.61trn amid commission concerns

'Affluent advice gap' sees unadvised individuals sit on £1.61trn amid commission concerns

The Lang Cat research

Jen Frost
clock 01 October 2026 • 3 min read
Succession Alliance launches first profession-wide succession survey

Succession Alliance launches first profession-wide succession survey

Open to people in all roles working in financial planning firms

Sophia Panayi
clock 29 September 2026 • 1 min read