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Barclays Plc shareholders are expected to comfortably approve the British bank's sale of asset manager Barclays Global Investors to BlackRock when they vote on the $13.5 billion deal on Thursday.

British bank Barclays on Thursday said an overwhelming majority of its shareholders had approved the sale of investment management unit BGI to US fund manager Blackrock.

Britain's Lloyds Banking Group sank to a 4 billion pounds ($6.8 billion) loss in the first half, battered by a surge in bad debts from its HBOS business, but the bank told investors it was through the worst.

Britain's Lloyds Banking Group sank to a 4 billion pounds ($6.8 billion) loss in the first half, battered by a surge in bad debts from its HBOS business, but the bank told investors it was through the worst.

HSBC and Barclays on Monday reported a surge in bad debts to a combined $21 billion as recession took its toll on borrowers, but Britain's two biggest banks offered encouragement they could be through the worst.

Barclays Plc fell short of expectations with an 8 percent rise in half-year profit as bad debts at Britain's second biggest bank almost doubled to offset buoyant earnings from its enlarged investment bank.

HSBC Holdings Plc, Europe's biggest bank, said its first-half profit halved from a year ago to $5 billion as it was hit by rising bad debts in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Asset manager BlackRock Inc said second-quarter profit fell from a year earlier as assets under management declined, but results rebounded from the first quarter as markets recovered.

Several Wall Street analysts on Monday gave a mixed 2009 outlook for Citigroup Inc (C.N) and Bank of America Corp (BAC.N), after the U.S. banks on Friday reported a surge in second-quarter loan losses despite posting profits for the period.

Stellar earnings from U.S. banks have raised expectations that European rivals will follow suit in the next month, although rising bad debts have the potential to douse that optimism.

Roger Jenkins, the executive who secured billions of pounds in overseas funding to help Barclays remain free from direct government investment, is poised to leave the bank, the Sunday Telegragh reported.

British bank Barclays Plc is considering the sale of its private equity business and will meet investment partners this week to discuss the issue, several people familiar with the matter said.

Barclays has hired mergers and acquisitions banker Mark Todd from Citigroup, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday, the latest in a string of hires as the British bank beefs up in European M&A.

U.S. housing prices will fall by a double-digit percentage from already beaten-down levels, resulting in an overall 40 percent plunge by the time foreclosures peak in the second half of 2010, Barclays Capital economist Michelle Meyer said.

World stocks began the third quarter on an upbeat note on Wednesday with European and emerging market shares rising around 1 percent and oil climbing on hopes for a recovery in demand.

Bank of America Corp's primary investment management unit is drawing lower than expected bids after its likeliest suitor, BlackRock Inc , inked a blockbuster deal to buy Barclays Global Investor , the Financial Times reported, citing people close to the matter.

Barclays' board has recommended shareholders accept a $13.5 billion cash and shares offer from U.S. fund manager BlackRock for its Barclays Global Investors business, the British bank said on Tuesday.

Leaders of emerging world powers discussed reducing their reliance on the United States, as well as boosting security and trade at two summits on Tuesday hosted by Russia but excluding the West.

Bank of America Corp, hoping to repay $45 billion of government money, is less likely to raise the funds by selling its big stake in BlackRock Inc after the asset manager buys Barclays Global Investors, analysts said.

BlackRock Inc , the fund manager that has been one of the biggest winners of the credit crunch, has snapped up Barclays Global Investors for $13.5 billion in a deal creating the world's largest money manager.

BlackRock, Inc announced it has agreed to buy Barclays Global Investors from Barclays Plc in a $12.9 billion cash and stock deal to create an the world’s largest asset management firm with combined assets of over $2.7 trillion.

BlackRock has agreed to buy Barclays Global Investors to create the world's biggest asset manager in a $13.5 billion deal that British bank Barclays hopes will put to rest concerns about its capital.

BlackRock has agreed to buy Barclays Global Investors to create the world's biggest asset manager, in a $13.5 billion deal that British bank Barclays hopes will put to rest concerns about its capital.

BlackRock Inc. said on Thursday it will buy British bank Barclays Plc's investment arm BGI for $13.5 billion in a blockbuster deal that will create the world's biggest asset manager.

British bank Barclays confirmed on Friday that it had agreed to sell its BGI investment arm to U.S. firm BlackRock for $13.5 billion, creating the world's biggest asset manager.

BlackRock Inc. , the giant U.S. money manager, said on Thursday that it will buy Barclays Global Investors in a cash and share deal that will turn it into the world's biggest asset manager.

BlackRock Inc. , the giant U.S. money manager, said on Thursday it will buy Barclays Global Investors for $13.5 billion in a deal that will make it the world's biggest asset manager.

U.S. money manager BlackRock is near to buying Barclays Global Investors for between $12 billion and $13 billion to create a global asset manager twice the size of its nearest rival, people familiar with the matter said.

Barclays Plc is in talks to sell Barclays Global Investors , the British bank said on Monday, with U.S. fund manager BlackRock the frontrunner to land the asset manager for about $12 billion.