WILL DITCHING CHELTENHAM & GLOUCESTER HELP LLOYDS RECOVER?
ALEX POTTER COLLINS STEWART
“Lloyds Banking Group was close to dominating the British high street and I’m sure that’s a concern for European anti-trust authorities, so closing these branches may be a practical move to help with that. It will also help a little with streamlining. There’s a recession on and they need to cut their cloth from that stone.”
DAVE EVANS BET ON MARKETS
“It really all depends on what the next six to 12 months do to the old HBOS division. If things start to recover, as they seem to be doing, then Lloyds’ prospects could improve quite quickly. That’s all provided that there are no more skeletons in the closet at HBOS of course. It has also started paying back the government which will work in its favour.”
JUSTIN URQUHART-STEWART SEVEN IM
“The black horse has been hurt. It’s not dead but it’s definitely hobbling along, under-capitalised, nowhere near as strong as it was. The worst is over but the bank is going to have learn to live with a very cruel profession indeed. Lloyds will be desperate to get out from the clutches of the government and start making profits again.”