Spanish banking giant Santander is planning to list its UK operations on the London Stock Exchange as soon as this autumn in a deal worth an estimated £3bn.
Former shareholders of Bradford & Bingley should not get any compensation after the troubled lender was divided and sold, an independent valuer says.
Santander, Spain's biggest bank, is the sole remaining bidder for the 318 Williams & Glynn branches being offloaded by Royal Bank of Scotland.
Britain and France are at odds with other European Union countries over plans to insure against future bank failures, in another sign of the problems in trying to forge a common response to the bloc's economic woes.
Following the strong performance demonstrated by most main risk assets during 2009, the start of 2010 saw volatility return to the markets.
Stock market experts are warning of another year of dividend famine as some of Britain's biggest dividend mainstays struggle to maintain payments to shareholders.