Lloyds Banking Group saw its share price sink in this morning’s early trading as investors offloaded following a large rise in impairments at the part-nationalised bank.

The share price dropped by 3.3 per cent to 53.11 pence (0930 hrs), dragging down peers across the sector.

RBS fell victim despite declaring better-than-expected results yesterday and showing early promise in this morning’s trading. Its share price dipped around 2 per cent to 37.56 pence (0930 hrs) following Lloyds’ movements.

Eric Daniels, chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group, said that 2009 was a year of significant achievement in shaping the Group.

He said the business had established positive trends in margin, cost and impairments and is well positioned, despite the multi-billion pound loss.

He added, ‘On a combined businesses basis, the group reported a £6.3 billion loss for the year, compared to a £6.7 billion loss in 2008. Our total income rose 12 per cent, whilst costs fell 5 per cent.

‘The higher income and lower costs drove a substantial uplift in the trading surplus, which increased by 35 per cent, and our cost to income ratio improved to 48.4 per cent.

‘As guided last August, there was a significant increase in impairments, which rose to £24.0 billion from £14.9 billion in 2008, principally due to the HBOS portfolios and their high level of exposure to commercial property.’

Lloyds Banking Group was the most popular purchased stock yesterday, at 13.2 per cent of all trades as investors had anticipated similar news to that of Royal Bank of Scotland.

Barclays Stockbrokers
Top ten trades
Thursday 25 February

Buy
1. Lloyds Banking Group, 13.2 per cent
2. Xstrata, 6.7 per cent
3. RBS, 5.5 per cent
4. Barclays, 3.9 per cent
5. Taylor Wimpey, 1.5 per cent
6. Barratt Development, 1.5 per cent
7. Rio Tinto, 1.4 per cent
8. Desire Petroleum, 1.4 per cent
9. BP, 1.2 per cent
10. BG Group, 1 per cent

Sales
1. RBS, 20.4 per cent
2. Lloyds Banking Group, 11.1 per cent
3. Barclays, 4.8 per cent
4. Vodafone, 1.7 per cent
5. GKN, 1.2 per cent
6. HSBC Holdings, 1.1 per cent
7. Xstrata, 1.0 per cent
8. Desire Petroleum, 1 per cent
9. Centrica, 0.9 per cent
10. BT Group, 0.8 per cent