HBOS is set toadmit to one of the most disastrous rights issues in corporate history when it concedes that as few as 10% of its investors took up its £4 billion share offer.
Its two underwriters, Morgan Stanley and Dresdner, will have to place £3.6bn of shares over the course of Monday or Tuesday.
If they are unable to place the shares at the rights-issue price of 275p or above, they will be forced to take them on to their own balance sheets.
The two investment banks are thought to have sub-under-written about 40% of the issue but it still means they could be left with £1bn worth of shares each.
Sunday Times, Financial Times
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