Lloyds Bank is expected to set out its dividend plans next week, including a potential return of surplus cash to shareholders, making its stock more attractive ahead of a possible sale to retail investors, industry sources have said.

Lloyds Banking Group, Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, posted a wider third-quarter loss after setting aside an additional £750m (€875m) to compensate clients wrongly sold loan insurance.

Britain’s competition regulator has approved plans by Lloyds Banking Group to sell 631 branches, potentially clearing the way for the coalition government to start selling its shares in the bank this week.

TSB will become Britain’s eighth biggest high street bank when it is re-launched today as a standalone brand 18 years after disappearing when it merged with Lloyds.

A return to dividends at Lloyds Banking Group could be on the cards after its chief executive said the state-backed bank’s improving health increases the possibility of payouts.

Lloyds, Britain’s biggest retail bank, has set aside another £1.5bn (€1.7bn) to compensate customers mis-sold loan insurance, hitting its shares and tempering prospects for a swift sale of the government’s stake.

US investment firm Kennedy Wilson is being heavily linked with a bid in the region of €300m for the Irish loan portfolio of Lloyds Banking Group.

Lloyds Banking Group plans to sell about €2bn of mainly Irish property loans, the latest phase in extricating itself from Western Europe’s biggest property crash, according to a source with knowledge of the transaction.

A proposal aimed at kick-starting the Co-op’s stalled acquisition of 632 Lloyds branches in the UK has been put to the markets regulator, it was reported today.

Lloyds Banking Group, Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, says two thirds of its €24.8bn of loans in Ireland are unlikely to be repaid in full following the property crash.

Lloyds Banking Group is under mounting pressure to provide an update on the leadership vacuum created by the absence of its chief executive, it was claimed today.

GREEN Property has signed an agreement with Lloyds Banking Group making it favourite to manage any of the bank’s €1 billion worth of commercial property assets should they go into receivership within the next five-to-seven years.

LLOYDS Bank has said it is “closely managing” its exposure to Ireland, after seeing its Irish-based loan losses increase by 14% year-on-year during the first half of this year.

Britain's Lloyds Banking Group has received only two bids for the 632 branches it has put up for sale, which could force it to demerge them instead, it was reported today.

Lloyds Banking Group will signal thousands more job cuts this week as part of a drive to save an extra £1bn a year in costs.

Barclays is set to follow its rival Lloyds Banking Group and abandon its legal fight over the mis-selling of payment protection insurance, it was reported today.

LLOYDS Banking Group has reported a swing back into profit for the first half of this year, but also saw losses on loans in its Irish division grow significantly during the period.

LLOYDS Banking Group has said it will continue to monitor the Irish market even though a reduction in loan losses has helped it return to profitability.

The London market lost 2.6% today as world indices were battered by fresh fear over Greece’s debt woes amid concerns that other European nations could be swept up in the crisis.

Mining firms dragged the FTSE 100 Index into the red today despite profits cheer from part-nationalised Lloyds Banking Group.

BEFORE the dawn comes the darkest hour. This week’s choreography between the Minister for Finance, Central Bank governor and Financial Regulator seeks to reconstruct the Irish banking system. We have to hope it works. Don’t be too fearful about the enormous sums being injected into AIB and Bank of Ireland.

Part-nationalised UK banks Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Lloyds Banking Group defended lending policies today amid claims the duo are hitting firms with high loan rates.

THE monetary impact of writing off so-called “bad” loans – or those which are unlikely to be repaid – including a significant amount in its Irish operations, led Lloyds Banking Group into posting heavy losses for the first half of this year.

UK Chancellor Alistair Darling will this week outline plans to sell nationalised lender Northern Rock to a player with little presence in the mortgage market under plans to revive competition in the banking sector, it was reported today.

The British part-nationalised Lloyds Banking Group may be forced to sell off parts of the business as the price of UK government support, the bank said today.

Lloyds Banking Group’s hunt for a new chairman was underway today following the resignation of Victor Blank.

Victor Blank today said he will retire as chairman of part-nationalised Lloyds Banking Group before the firm’s annual meeting next year.

Bosses of Lloyds Banking Group were facing calls to quit today as the stock market prepared to give its verdict on the latest multi-billion pound bailout by the British taxpayer.

The British government finally took charge of Lloyds Banking Group today after agreeing to underwrite £260bn (€290bn) in “toxic” assets.

The FTSE 100 Index slid as much as 3% today after nervous investors bailed out of Lloyds Banking Group and figures showed the US economy contracted at its fastest pace for more than a quarter of a century.

The FTSE 100 Index broke a five-day losing streak today, but banks proved a rare bright spot amid subdued trading in London.

Investors in Barclays will meet today to approve a £7bn (€8.2bn) fund-raising which could put almost a third of the bank in the hands of Middle East investors.

Lloyds TSB has begun sounding out potential buyers for an arm of Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS), it was reported today.

Shareholders in Royal Bank of Scotland will today vote on a £20bn (€24bn) bail-out plan which could put nearly 60% of the company in public hands.

Lloyds TSB shareholders today backed the proposed takeover of ailing rival HBOS.

Lloyds TSB shareholders will today vote on the bank’s rescue takeover of ailing rival HBOS.

Another dire day for blue-chip stocks saw the FTSE 100 Index plunge more than 5% today to hit its lowest level in more than five years.

The FTSE 100 Index slipped below the 4000 barrier today as investors reacted to heavy overnight losses for Asian markets.

Shares in Halifax Bank of Scotland closed 21% higher on London's FTSE index tonight amid hopes a rescue takeover by Lloyds TSB will go ahead as planned.

Halifax Bank of Scotland’s shares surged ahead today amid a revival in confidence over its rescue takeover by Lloyds TSB.

Lloyds TSB’s £12.2bn (€15.3bn) rescue of HBOS sparked a shares bounce back on the FTSE 100 Index today after three straight days of losses.

Upbeat trading news from Lloyds TSB saw the bank make strong gains today but failed to provide direction on the wider London market.

UK banking group Lloyds TSB today posted a 7% rise in half-year profits and said its retail division was continuing to attract new business.