HBOS 'considering £9bn bid for Abbey National'

Banking group HBOS is mulling a possible £9bn (€13.6bn) counter-bid for takeover target Abbey National, it was reported today.

HBOS has a team looking at the benefits and disadvantages of bidding for Abbey, which last week agreed an £8.5bn (€12.9bn) merger with Spain’s biggest bank, Banco Santander Central Hispano (BSCH), a national Sunday newspaper reported.