Lloyds TSB Group PLCLYGCOMMENTSep 20, 2016Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 09, 2026. Market Open.
He sold in 2013/14 because cross selling did not work. They were going to increase returns to shareholders and that did not materialize. As a British bank they are in a better position than a European bank. But he does not want to be a British bank because the American markets have access to your capital. He thinks the outperformance of non-Canadian banks is probably over.
He sold in 2014-5. The bank was working off the bad loan book and releasing capital, and selling off bad loans. They hoping to return their book of business back to growth. Because they'd underwritten most UK mortgages, they hopes that by cross-selling they could grow their share. That didn't work, so he exited.
He sold his Lloyd’s shares several years ago. He invested with the expectation of some catalysts: that they would expand their business by increasing the number of types of services they provided to each customer and that they would significantly increase their dividend. Neither increased to the extent that he had planned for and he doesn’t see significant catalysts for growth now. (Analysts’ price target is 76p compared to a current stock price of 67 pence).
Sold his holdings leading into BREXIT on concerns of what that could do to the financial services sector. That is the one sector in the UK where he worries about what is going to happen with respect to employment and longer-term growth. This bank is going to be somewhat challenged, however the valuation looks compelling. He may re-enter this at some point once he gets more confident about what the domestic economy is going to look like in 2017.