Warning by Bradford and Bingley about profits

Released on: June 2, 2008, 10:14 pm

Press Release Author: Tom Darwin

Industry: Financial

Press Release Summary: The biggest buy-to-let bank of Britain, Bradford & Bingley
today will issue a warning to the investors that the bank no longer sees any
expectations to meet their profit targets.

Press Release Body: The biggest buy-to-let bank of Britain, Bradford & Bingley today
will issue a warning to the investors that the bank no longer sees any expectations
to meet their profit targets. Also, the bank made an announcement that their chief
executive Steven Crawshaw quit from the bank last week. This was entailed due to his
askance to the shareholders for pooling in more cash for improving the finances of
the bank.

As reported by the BBC last night, Texas Pacific Group which is a private equity
firm will is ready to invest £150m in B&B. this will be done in return for a 20%
stake in the bank. With this investment, the cash call on the investors of B&B will
be reduced to £250m. the bank will still gain more than the originally expected
£300m from the issue of rights. All along, the Chief executive Crawshaw had denied
all reports of rights issue by the B&B. but the issue was announced last month which
was giving away new shares at a discounted price. This was done to raise £300m which
was equivalent to one third of the market value of the bank at that time.

All this mayhem caused Crawshaw to step down due to the enragement which happened
amongst the investors.

However, the immediate departure of the chief executive has been said to be due to
"serious cardiovascular condition", according to a statement by B&B yesterday. The
post will be taken for now by the Chairman Rod Kent. Crawshaw tried to draw support
for his rights issue and for this, he even engaged in a busy investor road show.

The reports in newspapers on April 14 about the bank planning rights issue had been
out rightly denied by the B&B bank. They made it clear that they were not intending
to issue equity capital by any way like a rights issue.

With this denial, the investors had believed they would not be asked to pool in
finances for the balance sheet of the bank. But only a month later, the board of B&B
announced a rights issue to raise around £300m.

After two weeks of the last trade updating, the warnings are being issued. Even
though the forecasts for 2008 were reduced substantially, the bank profits are
likely to fall short of what was expected from it. This warning came in addition to
the exit announcement of Crawshaw.

The shareholders in other banks will keep a close watch on the reactions of the
warning that has been issued on the profits. This warning was issued against the
hopes of those who thought the damages of the credit crunch were over.

Further details of the rights issue will be received by the shareholders of B&B.
however there is concern that the shareholders may not take the discounted shares
with a good outlook.

Small investors have a total share of around 40% in the bank. This is due to the
initial form of the group as a building society. Few of them are being speculated to
come and take up their rights.

Share prices fell to a record low last week and this triggered off a concern about
the rights issue. Further depression of the B&B share price has been caused by the
fund speculators who take complex bets on the outcome of the rights issue which has
been announced.
Please visit our website at http://www.firstchoiceloan.co.uk/

Web Site: http://www.firstchoiceloan.co.uk/

Contact Details: Tom Darwin
address1 : 12 clement road
address2 : Calleva park
country : UK ( United Kingdom )
city : Reading
state : Berkshire
Pincode : rg78nn
Phone : 0312 375 910
Email : tomdarwin1@googlemail.com
website : http://www.firstchoiceloan.co.uk/

  • Printer Friendly Format
  • Back to previous page...
  • Back to home page...
  • Submit your press releases...
  •