TFN NEWS BRIEFING: Banking and insurance highlights to 15:45 BST

2008-10-06 15:42:55 TEXT-Moody's revises Skipton Building Society rating outlook

Oct 6 (Reuters) - (The following statement was released by the rating

Oct 6 - Moody's Investors Service today changed the outlook to negative on the C+ bank financial strength rating (BFSR) of Skipton Building Society's ("Skipton") which translates into a Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) of A2. 2008-10-06 15:40:22 BRIEF-NYSE regulation CEO says NYSE can play role in CDS exchange

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - Oct 6 (Reuters) - NYSE Euronext:

* Exclusive-NYSE regulation CEO says NYSE can play a role in possible new CDS

exchange

* Exclusive-NYSE regulation CEO says CDS settlement regulation needs to go

further

* Exclusive-NYSE regulation CEO says "we look forward to having that discussion

with regulators" in U.S., Europe Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 15:37:57 EU says will ensure financial stability-Sarkozy

PARIS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The leaders of the European Union's member states agreed on a statement on Monday in which they said they would do all that is necessary to maintain financial stability, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said. 2008-10-06 15:27:38 European shares sink 7 pct to 4-year lows

LONDON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - European shares sank 7 percent to their lowest level in four years in late trade on Monday, led lower by banks and energy stocks and a slide on Wall Street, where the Dow Jones industrial average punctured a key level. 2008-10-06 15:25:05 BRIEF-Lehman squandered millions on exec pay just before collapse-lawmaker

NEW YORK WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, the chairman of the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, on Monday:

* Said Lehman Brothers "continued to squander millions" on bonuses for three departing executives just before the investment firm collapsed in mid-September. 2008-10-06 15:15:29 WRAPUP 1-U.S. urges global action on credit crisis

NEW YORK WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - U.S. officials called for a "forceful and coordinated" global response to the credit crisis on Monday as financial market confidence cratered despite another heavy dose of central bank lending. 2008-10-06 15:10:18 Portugal says EU members to ensure financial stability

LISBON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - European Union member states will each take the necessary steps to ensure stability of the financial system, a statement from Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates' office said on Monday. 2008-10-06 15:09:44 Volcker says admires Bernanke's efforts to handle crisis

NEW YORK, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The global financial system is under great pressure from the current financial crisis, Paul Volcker, former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, said on Monday. 2008-10-06 14:38:11 TEXT-Fitch release on Dexia Crediop

Oct 6 (Reuters) - (The following statement was released by the ratings

Oct 6 - Fitch Ratings has today downgraded Dexia Crediop's (Crediop) ratings to Long-term Issuer Default (IDR) 'A+' from 'AA', Short-term IDR 'F1' from 'F1+', Individual 'B/C' from 'A/B' and Support '2' from '1'. The Long-term IDR, Short-term IDR and Individual rating are removed from Rating Watch Negative, where they were placed on 30 September 2008 following the downgrade of its parent Dexia ('AA-' (AA minus)/Outlook Stable). The Outlook on Crediop's Long-term IDR is Stable. 2008-10-06 14:24:58 EU to do anything necessary on crisis -Berlusconi

ROME, Oct 6 (Reuters) - European Union governments will do everything necessary to assure financial stability and avoid citizens losing any of their savings, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Monday. 2008-10-06 14:20:12 Russia govt a no-show at $22bln Bank of NY suit

MOSCOW, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The Russian government did not attend a hearing of its $22.5 billion lawsuit against the Bank of New York Mellon Corp on Monday, but a lawyer for the government said it remained determined to press its case. 2008-10-06 14:15:20 US STOCKS-Credit worry set to sink Wall St at open

NEW YORK, Oct 6 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks headed for a slide at the open on Monday as concerns about the widening fallout from the credit crisis fueled a global equities sell-off and fears about a global recession mounted. 2008-10-06 13:54:59 FOX-PITT RAISES WILLIS GROUP HOLDINGS TO OUTPERFORM FROM IN LINE

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - FOX-PITT RAISES WILLIS GROUP HOLDINGS TO OUTPERFORM FROM IN LINE Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 13:46:45 BRIEF-Northrop Grumman gets $128 million army contract

- Oct 6 (Reuters) - Northrop Grumman Corp:

* Northrop Grumman receives $128 million contract to supply

army with lightweight laser designator rangefinders Varghese Joseph vj 2008-10-06 13:46:08 Ireland's Postbank seeks to join govt bank scheme

DUBLIN, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Postbank, a joint venture of banking and insurance group Fortis and the Irish post office, said on Monday it would like to join the Irish government's bank guarantee scheme. 2008-10-06 13:38:30 TEXT-S&P release on Pinnacle Insurance PLC at 'A-'

Oct 6 (Reuters) - (The following statement was released by the ratings

Oct 6 - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said today that it revised to negative from stable its outlook on U.K.-based Pinnacle Insurance PLC (Pinnacle). At the same time, Standard & Poor's affirmed its 'A-' long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Pinnacle. 2008-10-06 13:31:33 Sarkozy to meet French bank, insurance chiefs

PARIS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy will hold a meeting with French banking and insurance bosses on Monday at 1430 GMT, his office said in a statement. 2008-10-06 13:29:36 2-Spain could act alone on deposits, PM to meet

MADRID, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Spain said on Monday it was prepared to act unilaterally on bank deposit guarantees if the European Union failed to reach a common plan as the Spanish prime minister summoned top bankers to a crisis meeting. 2008-10-06 13:26:25 FACTBOX-Europe scrambles to shore up bank sector

Oct 6 (Reuters) - Oct 6 (Reuters) - European governments have followed Germany's lead in offering deposit guarantees to savers in a frantic effort to calm fears among investors over the worst financial crisis in 80 years. 2008-10-06 13:18:30 FED-TO ALLOW LIMITED BANK PURCHASES OF ASSETS FROM MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUNDS

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - FED-TO ALLOW LIMITED BANK PURCHASES OF ASSETS FROM MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUNDS Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 13:18:21 FED-NOVEMBER TAF AUCTIONS TO EXTEND CREDIT OVER YEAR END RAISED TO $150 BLN EACH

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - FED-NOVEMBER TAF AUCTIONS TO EXTEND CREDIT OVER YEAR END RAISED TO $150 BLN EACH Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 13:16:41 FED-INCREASING TAF AUCTIONS TO $150 BLN EACH, EFFECTIVE 84-DAY AUCTION MONDAY

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - FED-INCREASING TAF AUCTIONS TO $150 BLN EACH, EFFECTIVE 84-DAY AUCTION MONDAY Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 13:16:32 FED-FORMULA FOR INTEREST RATE ON EXCESS BALANCES MAY BE ADJUSTED

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - FED-FORMULA FOR INTEREST RATE ON EXCESS BALANCES MAY BE ADJUSTED Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 13:16:19 FED-TO SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE SIZE OF TERM AUCTION FACILITY AUCTIONS TODAY

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - FED-WILL SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE SIZE OF TERM AUCTION FACILITY AUCTIONS BEGINNING TODAY Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 13:07:29 Italian funds see 9.48 bln euro outflow in September

MILAN, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Italian mutual funds saw net outflows of 9.48 billion euros in September, Italy's fund management association Assogestioni said on Monday. 2008-10-06 13:06:52 1-RESEARCH ALERT-JP Morgan cuts KKR Financial to neutral

Oct 6 (Reuters) - JP Morgan Securities downgraded KKR Financial Holdings LLC, an affiliate of private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co [KKR.UL], to "neutral" from "overweight," saying the company's growth prospects are limited amid a deteriorating economic environment. 2008-10-06 12:52:40 Sydbank joins Danish deposit guarantee scheme

COPENHAGEN, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Sydbank said on Monday it would join Denmark's deposit guarantee scheme, contributing between 350 million and 400 million Danish crowns ($63.76-72.87 million) per year. 2008-10-06 12:51:47 EU leaders readying message for market-Italy gov't

ROME, Oct 6 (Reuters) - European leaders are working on Monday to put together a joint statement to try to support financial markets, Italian government sources said. 2008-10-06 12:51:20 1-Bank of Finland says Finnish banks in good shape

HELSINKI, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Finnish banks have weathered the financial sector crisis well so far, the Bank of Finland said on Monday, adding the situation remained difficult in the money and wholesale money markets. 2008-10-06 12:42:19 Spain's Solbes sees rapid financial contagion

MADRID, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Financial markets are suffering rapid "a situation of rapid contagion," Spanish Economy Minister Pedro Solbes said on Monday. 2008-10-06 12:39:38 FACTBOX-European bank deposit schemes

- Oct 6 (Reuters) - More European governments followed Germany's lead over the weekend, offering blanket deposit guarantees to savers in a frantic effort to calm fears among investors over the worst financial crisis in 80 years. 2008-10-06 12:35:34 Indonesia Yudhoyono sees noof 1998 crisis

JAKARTA, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Monday he sees no repeat of the economic crisis that hit the country a decade ago. 2008-10-06 12:33:05 1-IMF chief calls for collective crisis response

PARIS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn called on Monday for a collective European response to the global financial crisis and a push to overhaul international institutions like his own. 2008-10-06 12:20:31 France's Sarkozy to discuss crisis with Merkel

SANDOUVILLE, France, Oct 6 (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Monday he would discuss the financial crisis with German Chancellor Angela Merkel later on Monday. 2008-10-06 12:16:04 Spain says prepared to guarantee savings

MADRID, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Spain is prepared to unilaterally guarantee bank deposits if European Union leaders fail to come up with a common plan on shoring up the banking system, Economy Minister Pedro Solbes said on Monday. 2008-10-06 12:13:32 BRIEF-Fed meeting with CME & ICE to discuss new CDS exchange -CNBC

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - Oct 6 (Reuters) -

* Fed meeting with CME & ICE to discuss new CDS exchange

(New York Equities Desk; tel: +1 646 223 6000)) 2008-10-06 12:09:11 1-German deposit measures less likely to distort-EU

BRUSSELS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - German plans for a guarantee on retail bank deposits seem less liable to give rise to distortions of competition than any scheme covering a wider spectrum of savings, the European Commission said on Monday. 2008-10-06 12:05:21 BRIEF-The Hartford announces $2.5 billion investment by Allianz SE, cuts dividen

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - Oct 6 (Reuters) - Hartford Financial Services Group Inc:

* The Hartford announces $2.5 billion investment by Allianz SE

* Says reduced dividend

* Sees Q3 loss per share $8.50 to $8.80 including items

* Sees Q3 core earnings per share $1.50 to $1.60

* Sets quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share

* Says Allianz will purchase, at $31 per share, $750 million of preferred

shares convertible to common stock

* Says Allianz SE will also receive warrants which entitle it to purchase $1.75

billion common stock at exercise price of $25.32 per share

* Says Allianz SE will also receive warrants which entitle it to purchase $1.75

billion of common stock at an exercise price of $25.32 per share

* Says Greg Mcgreevey will assume position of chief investment officer

* Reuters Estimates Q3 earnings per share view $2.03

* Says vast majority of the realized capital losses are impairments on the

Hartford's investment portfolio Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 12:03:04 HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP INC REUTERS ESTIMATES Q3 SHR VIEW $2.03

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP INC REUTERS ESTIMATES Q3 SHR VIEW $2.03 Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 12:00:45 HARTFORD FINANCIAL SAYS ALLIANZ SE TO GET $1.75B WARRANTS AT $25.32 PER

- HARTFORD FINANCIAL SAYS ALLIANZ SE WILL ALSO RECEIVE WARRANTS WHICH ENTITLE IT TO PURCHASE $1.75 BLN COMMON STOCK AT EXERCISE PRICE OF $25.32/SHARE Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 11:59:41 S.Africa's JSE starts two Africa indices with FTSE

JOHANNESBURG, Oct 6 (Reuters) - South African stock exchange operator JSE Ltd launched two Africa indexes with index compiler FTSE Group on Monday, aiming to increase the flow of investment into African countries. 2008-10-06 11:59:32 HARTFORD FINCL SAYS ALLIANZ WILL PURCHASE $75M PREFERRED CONV SHARES AT $31 PER

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP INC SAYS ALLIANZ WILL PURCHASE, AT $31 PER SHARE, $750 MILLION OF PREFERRED SHARES CONVERTIBLE TO COMMON STOCK Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 11:58:24 HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP INC SETS QUARTERLY DIVIDEND OF $0.32/SHR

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP INC SETS QUARTERLY DIVIDEND OF $0.32/SHR Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 11:58:13 HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP INC SEES Q3 CORE SHR $1.50 TO $1.60

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP INC SEES Q3 CORE SHR $1.50 TO $1.60 Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 11:58:01 HARTFORD FINANCIAL SEES Q3 SHR LOSS $8.50 TO $8.80 INCLUDING ITEMS

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP INC SEES Q3 SHR LOSS $8.50 TO $8.80 INCLUDING ITEMS Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 11:57:42 HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP INC SAYS REDUCED DIVIDEND

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP INC SAYS REDUCED DIVIDEND Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 11:57:26 GLANCE EU RESEARCH SUMMARY: Non-FTSEurofirst 300 Oct 6 1054 GMT

- Following is a summary of research actions on Non-FTSEurofirst 300 companies

reported by Reuters on XX. Stock entries are in alphabetical order. 2008-10-06 11:57:13 THE HARTFORD ANNOUNCES $2.5 BILLION INVESTMENT BY ALLIANZ SE

NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - THE HARTFORD ANNOUNCES $2.5 BILLION INVESTMENT BY ALLIANZ SE Chuck Mikolajczak cm 2008-10-06 11:48:17 Riksbank loans 100 bln SEK, marginal rate 5.4 pct

STOCKHOLM, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Sweden's central bank said on to the nation's banks in a measure to ensure credit supply, disrupted by the international financial crisis. 2008-10-06 11:47:27 Danske unit not seeking Irish bank guarantee cover

DUBLIN, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The Irish unit of Danske Bank said on Monday it was no longer seeking to join the Irish government's bank guarantee plan as it was covered by the Danish government's two-year scheme. 2008-10-06 11:47:08 Germany says still opposed to EU-wide bank rescue

BERLIN, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Germany remains opposed to a Europe-wide rescue fund for banks, a government spokesman said on Monday. 2008-10-06 11:42:18 German deposit measures less likely to distort-EU

BRUSSELS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Monday that German plans for a guarantee on retail bank deposits seemed less liable to give rise to distortions of competition than a blanket guarantee. 2008-10-06 11:32:18 1-Spanish PM to meet top banks over crisis

MADRID, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will meet top executives of the largest Spanish banks and savings banks on Monday at 1500 GMT to discuss the international financial crisis, a government spokesman said. 2008-10-06 11:27:43 Those behind mkt crisis must help solve it-Germany

BERLIN, Oct 6 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants those responsible for the financial crisis to help solve it, her spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said on Monday. 2008-10-06 11:21:08 BRIEF-Dexia board to convene on Monday evening

BRUSSELS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Dexia SA:

* Says board to convene on Monday evening to discuss situation of financial markets tf.TFN-Europe_newsdesk@thomson.com ak 2008-10-06 11:20:43 European shares slide, led by banks and commodities

LONDON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - European shares slumped nearly 6 percent in late morning trade on Monday, led by banks, oils and miners. 2008-10-06 11:11:15 Hypo has liquidity problem, business sound-Germany

BERLIN, Oct 6 (Reuters) - German lender Hypo Real Estate has a fundamentally sound business model but required a rescue because of liquidity woes, the German finance ministry said on Monday. 2008-10-06 11:02:18 1-France's Sarkozy spoke to Brown, Trichet on crisis

PARIS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet on Monday about the global financial markets crisis, Sarkozy's office said. 2008-10-06 10:51:54 GLANCE EU RESEARCH SUMMARY: FTSEurofirst 300 Oct 6 0936 GMT

- Following is a summary of research actions on FTSEurofirst 300 companies

reported by Reuters on Monday. Stock entries are in alphabetical order. 2008-10-06 10:49:50 Bundesbank to provide Hypo Real with liquidity

BERLIN, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank, has agreed to provide embattled lender Hypo Real Estate with short-term liquidity, the Finance Ministry said on Monday. 2008-10-06 10:36:36 STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-DAX volatility index hits all-time high

Oct 6 (Reuters) - STOCKS NEWS Reuters

Results diary

Stocks on the move Real-time Equity News

09:30GMT 06Oct2008-Equity risk aversion gauge hits all-time high

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The VDAX-NEW volatility index, a measure of investor risk appetite, rises 10 percent to an all-time high as European shares tumble on intensifying financial industry and economic growth worries. 2008-10-06 10:31:20 France's Sarkozy spoke to Brown, Trichet on crisis

PARIS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet on Monday about the global financial markets crisis, Sarkozy's office said. 2008-10-06 10:25:40 UK gilt futures surge as banking woes hit stocks

LONDON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - British gilt futures surged on Monday, jumping over one point as sharp equity market losses and concerns over the global banking system boosted the appeal of government bonds. 2008-10-06 09:59:54 Spain mulls bank debt purchases, deposit boost-report

MADRID, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Spain's government is considering purchasing bank debt and increasing bank deposit guarantees to boost liquidity and calm investors during the global financial crisis, a Spanish newspaper reported on Monday. 2008-10-06 09:59:11 BRIEF-LSE group trading up 24 pct in Sept yr-on-yr

LONDON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - London Stock Exchange Group Plc:

* Volatile market conditions contributed to very strong trading across the equity order books of the London Stock Exchange group during September

* 302.8 billion pounds worth of equity trading was carried out during September, an increase of 24 per cent on September 2007

* The total number of trades increased 62 percent to 27.1 million

* Trading in ETFs and ETCs was also strong. The total value traded in ETFs and ETCs more than doubled year on year, up 121 percent to 6.5 billion pounds

* A record 10.8 million contracts were traded across the Group's derivatives markets, EDX London and IDEM, representing an increase of 72 percent on September last year tf.TFN-Europe_newsdesk@thomsonreuters.com jlw 2008-10-06 09:45:58 Czech finmin: no need to guarantee deposits -paper

PRAGUE, Oct 6 (Reuters) - There is no reason for the Czech government to issue a state guarantee on all private bank deposits of the kind seen in Germany, Czech Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek was quoted on Monday as saying. 2008-10-06 09:45:40 Fortis share value seen at 3.5 to 4 euros-analysts

BRUSSELS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Shares of the remains of troubled financial group Fortis are worth 3.5 to 4.0 euros after north European governments and BNP Paribas carved up the business and are expected to trade at a significant discount, analysts said on Monday. 2008-10-06 09:45:20 Norway's DnB NOR says has solid position

OSLO, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Norway's biggest banking group DnB NOR said on Monday that it remains solid, its exposure to Icelandic banks is minimal and a steep drop in its share price was due to market weakness and not anything company-specific. 2008-10-06 09:22:46 StanChart hires Lehman banker for Asia M&A-sources

SINGAPORE, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Standard Chartered has hired Sarab Bhutani from Lehman Brothers as a senior banker for its M&A division that oversees financial sponsors such as private equity firms, two sources told Reuters on Monday. 2008-10-06 09:16:03 1-Britain says won't leave ordinary savers unprotected

LONDON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The British government promised on Monday it would not leave ordinary savers unprotected in the current financial crisis but said it had no plans to respond immediately to a surprise move by Germany to guarantee deposits.