Afternoon Markets: HBOS and Lloyds fall as merger hangs in the balance

The FTSE 100 remained fairly steady in late trading with a 0.34% fall to 4116. The biggest lagger w...

The FTSE 100 remained fairly steady in late trading with a 0.34% fall to 4116. The biggest lagger was HBOS with a fall of 16.91%, followed by Lloyds TSB which lost 12.01%. Shareholders will vote on the merger which will decide the future of the companies later this week. Figures from the Office for National Statistics released today showed consumer inflation has dropped due to falling food and fuel prices. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) fell from from 5.2% to 4.5% in September, its biggest drop in 16 years. Meanwhile the Retail Prices Index (RPI) dropped 0.8% to 4.2%, its largest fal...