British banking giant HBOS revealed today that less than 10% of shareholders took part in its £4bn (€5bn) rights issue.

Banking group Lloyds TSB was today reported to be working on plans to buy Germany’s Dresdner Bank from insurance giant Allianz.

Online casinos surged in value today despite backing in the United States last night for strict laws to ban internet gambling.

A recovery in mining stocks helped lift share prices in London into the black today after a mixed session for traders.

ONE of Germany’s leading banks financed Nazi arms makers and owned a stake in a company that built crematoria at the Auschwitz concentration camp, authors of a bank-commissioned report found yesterday.

Poker players attracted by the potential riches of the blackjack tables today helped online gaming firm PartyGaming to beat market hopes for fourth-quarter revenues.

The London market suffered a sharp reversal of fortunes today to lose hold of lunchtime gains and close deeply in the red.

Banking group Lloyds TSB was one of the best top flight performers for a second consecutive session today as bid talk continued.

Progress by telecoms and oil stocks helped the FTSE 100 Index reverse a recent losing streak today.

The London market maintained its progress today after a positive conclusion to Friday’s session in New York.

London shares returned from the holiday weekend in lacklustre form today despite gains by tobacco stocks.

Blue-chip firms in the drugs and utilities sectors experienced contrasting fortunes during a lacklustre session for the FTSE 100 Index today.

Tesco further boosted its domination of the British supermarket sector today as it beat market expectations with a 24% hike in half-year profits to £822m (€1.2bn).

Marks & Spencer boss Stuart Rose was today facing up to the task of delivering a trading revival after fending off a proposed £9.1bn (€13.6bn) takeover bid.

MARKS & SPENCER was last night waiting to discover whether it has done enough to defeat a potential £9.1 billion (€13.6 billion) offer from tycoon Philip Green.

GALEN founder and former president Allen McClay sold a 6.3% stake in the Northern Irish drugmaker for around £97 million (€147m) yesterday, sources close to the deal said. The sale spurred a drop in its share price.

Allianz, the insurer that joined forces with Dresdner Bank to become the world's fourth largest financial group has swung back into profit, according to latest results.

The Irish index of shares closed down 0.31%, or 14.71 points, to 4,762.94 weighed down by Elan and financial stocks.

FTSE 100 risers and fallers listed.

Allianz AG insurance firm is to take over Germany's third largest bank, Dresdner Bank AG.