Barclay family looks to stall crucial court case - report

The Barclay family is seeking to postpone a court case that would see insolvency proceedings get underway for one of their key holding companies, it was reported on Monday.

Source: Sharecast

According to Sky News, the hearing is due to start later on Monday in the British Virgin Islands.

But the family wants Lloyds Banking Group to have the hearing adjourned, as negotiations remain ongoing about the £1bn they owe the high street lender.

Lloyds took control of the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph and Spectator, which the family has owned since 2004, in June in a long-running dispute about the unpaid debt.

A formal sale process of the titles was launched last week. The Barclays had previously tabled a £1bn bid, as they sought to wrest back control and force Lloyds to abandon the auction.

However, the bank is understood to have rejected the approach as it wanted to proceed with a full auction. A number of parties have already expressed interest in the titles, including Germany’s Axel Springer and Daily Mail owner Lord Rothermere.

Monday’s court case, which is separate to the auction, relates to the prospective liquidation of the Penultimate Investments Holding Company. Lloyds brought the legal case to enable it to collect the proceeds from the impending sale.

The newspapers are forecast to achieve a price tag of between £500m and £700m, while the Spectator is expected to fetch around £70m.

Both Lloyds and the Barclay family declined to comment on the report.

Exchange: London Stock Exchange
Sell:
56.94 p
Buy:
51.00 p
Change: 0.36 ( 0.67 %)
Date:
Prices delayed by at least 15 minutes

Compare our accounts

Whether you're looking for a Share Dealing Account or Share Dealing ISA, we've got an account to suit your needs.

Lloyds Bank is not responsible for the content and accuracy of the Markets News articles. We may not share the views of the author. Understand the risks, please remember the value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invest. We don't provide advice so if you are in any doubt about buying and selling shares or making your own investment decisions we recommend you seek advice from a suitably qualified Financial Advisor. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.

Important legal information

The Lloyds Bank Direct Investments Service is operated by Halifax Share Dealing Limited. Registered Office: Trinity Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 2RG. Registered in England and Wales no. 3195646. Halifax Share Dealing Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, 12 Endeavour Square, London, E20 1JN under registration number 183332. A Member of the London Stock Exchange and an HM Revenue & Customs Approved ISA Manager.

Logo Allfunds

The information contained within this website is provided by Allfunds Digital, S.L.U. acting through its business division Digital Look Ltd unless otherwise stated. The information is not intended to be advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any of the shares, companies or investment vehicles mentioned, nor is it information meant to be a research recommendation. This is a solution powered by Allfunds Digital, S.L.U. acting through its business division Digital Look Ltd incorporating their prices, data news, charts, fundamentals and investor tools on this site. Terms and conditions apply. Prices and trades are provided by Allfunds Digital, S.L.U. acting through its business division Digital Look Ltd and are delayed by at least 15 minutes.

FE fundinfo Logo

Data provided by FE fundinfo. Care has been taken to ensure that the information is correct, but FE fundinfo neither warrants, represents nor guarantees the contents of information, nor does it accept any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions or any inconsistencies herein. Past performance does not predict future performance, it should not be the main or sole reason for making an investment decision. The value of investments and any income from them can fall as well as rise.

Refinitiv Logo

© 2024 Refinitiv, an LSEG business. All rights reserved.