Britain's Nationwide Building Society is considering making a bid for the 316 branches that Royal Bank of Scotland was due to sell to Santander, it was reported today.

The government has confirmed that no buyer has been found yet for Irish Life and Permanent.

GREAT-West Lifeco, Canada’s second-largest insurer, is the leading candidate to acquire Irish Life & Permanent’s life assurance unit, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Money today looked to be in pole position to land Northern Rock as the auction of the UK's nationalised lender nears its conclusion.

THE ISEQ index advanced 16.25 points to 2,604.54 yesterday.

THE country’s biggest mortgage lender, Irish Life and Permanent (IL&P), said arrears have risen 24% while loan losses have more than doubled.

JC FLOWERS & Co is among five bidders vying to buy Irish Life & Permanent’s life assurance unit, the biggest insurer of its kind in the country.

THE deadline for final bids to be submitted for the EBS Building Society passed yesterday, with Irish Life & Permanent and Cardinal Asset Management understood to be in the final shakeup for the business.

THE sale of the EBS is being viewed as an ongoing process as no real progress has been made this week despite reports that veteran American investor Wilbur Ross is to take control of the lender.

IRISH Life & Permanent (IL&P) and US private equity group JC Flowers are now being seen as the probable last two players in the chase to acquire the EBS Building Society.

THE sale process surrounding the EBS Building Society is unlikely to be completed until near the end of the year, despite yesterday’s latest deadline for bids from interested parties.

EBS Building Society will receive bids from private equity groups and bancassurer Irish Life & Permanent in the next few days, sources told Reuters.

FIVE preliminary bids for EBS Building Society were lodged before yesterday’s submission deadline, the Irish Examiner understands.

THE outlook for Anglo Irish Bank’s surviving as a standalone entity deteriorated further yesterday as its shares plunged about 28% for the second day in a row.

THE decision by the Irish Association of Investment Managers (IAIM) to put forward a bank recapitalisation programme will give the private equity players stalking the banks food for thought as they scramble to secure significant holdings in some of the country’s troubled institutions.

AS RIVAL investors battle to inject billions into the six Irish-owned banks, significant uncertainty still surrounds their future.

Private equity firm JC Flowers today threatened to walk away from its £3.5bn (€4.3bn) takeover approach for Friends Provident unless the board of the life and pensions firm opens talks by the end of the week.

Further fears over the US economy sent the London market tumbling below the key 6000 barrier today.

Share losses from blue-chip chocolate giant Cadbury Schweppes and banking majors failed to hold the London market back from the key 6000 barrier today.

The London market closed above the psychologically key 6000 barrier for the first time since February today thanks to strong gains in the mining sector and hopes of another cut in interest rates.

US private equity firm JC Flowers today insisted its £3.5bn (€2.22bn) proposal to take over British financial services firm Friends Provident was "attractive" as it stepped up its battle to gain the board's backing for the bid.

Commercial broadcaster ITV led declines on the London market today amid fears over advertising revenues in another turbulent day for blue chip stocks.

Life assurer Friends Provident today said it had rejected a revised £3.5bn (€4.4bn) offer from private equity firm JC Flowers.

Life insurer Friends Provident is today understood to be holding emergency boardroom talks after US private equity firm JC Flowers made a revised £3.5bn (€4.4bn) takeover approach.

Mobile phone giant Vodafone and better-than-expected sales figures from supermarket chain Sainsbury’s helped steady the London market today.

The latest effort by central banks to ease the growing pressure on money markets boosted the FTSE 100 Index today.

Bargain-hunting investors gave the London market a much-needed boost today after three successive losing sessions.

Friends Provident pledged a renewed focus on protection and group pensions today after revealing profits dived to just £16m (€21m) in 2007.

A sharp fall in annual profits will thrust life and pensions company Friends Provident back under the takeover spotlight this week.

London’s FTSE 100 Index fell more than 1% today after inflation concerns and a poor opening session in New York dampened sentiment.

UK life and pensions group Friends Provident said today that it is to axe around 600 jobs as part of a group-wide overhaul and cost-cutting drive.

The London market held firm above the 6500 barrier today as housebuilders and miners encouraged the blue-chip index to race ahead.

The battle for crisis-hit British bank Northern Rock looks set to intensify this week as a number of suitors re-table bids to rival the one put forward by Virgin, it was reported today.

The FTSE 100 Index soared above the 6400 barrier today as the market notched its biggest weekly gain since before the summer's credit crunch.

Richard Branson's Virgin and private equity firm JC Flowers are heading a shortlist of buyers for crisis-hit British mortgage lender Northern Rock, reports said today.

There were renewed fears over lender Northern Rock’s ability to repay its £24bn (€33.4bn) taxpayer debts today after a newspaper raised doubts about its mortgage assets.

At least two firm bids for beleaguered British mortgage lender Northern Rock have emerged, but taxpayers in the UK could still end up propping up the company for up to three years.

Northern Rock’s potential rescuer has a strong record of snapping up stricken companies and nursing them back to health, often for big rewards.

Private equity firm JC Flowers has made an offer for crisis-hit mortgage lender Northern Rock, it emerged today.

UK opposition parties will up the pressure on chancellor Alistair Darling over the Northern Rock crisis today as the company continues its search for a potential buyer.

British Chancellor Alistair Darling will set out the UK government’s principles for the sale of troubled lender Northern Rock today.

Today is the final date for bidders to put forward rescue proposals for beleaguered British mortgage lender Northern Rock.

SHARES in troubled British mortgage lender, Northern Rock sagged yesterday as signs a possible sale will take some time outweighed a report that private equity firm Cerberus has lined up financial help for a bid.

Richard Branson’s Virgin is planning to inject up to £1.5 billion into crisis-hit Northern Rock as part of a possible rescue deal for the bank, reports said today.