3 Quotes by Simon Payne

Lloyds is rising on speculation that BBVA will make a bid. There's been talk of a tie up between the two for ages. BBVA pulling out of BNL is going to reinforce that rumor.

The end-of-year rally was overdone ahead of figures that so far haven't surprised. That, together with rising oil prices and weakness in Asia and Wall Street, isn't helping matters.

All the work and effort in Italy has come to nothing and Gonzalez is going to be under huge pressure to come up with a Plan B. BBVA will now have to look elsewhere abroad, and it needs to do it quickly.