NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Jan 6, 2012) - British banking shares have been volatile in recent months as investors worry that the UK could eventually slip back into a recession. Recent data issued from the Bank of England shows that while the number of mortgage approvals in the UK reached a two year high in November, overall lending to consumers and businesses remains weak. The Bedford Report examines investing opportunities in the Foreign Banking Industry and provides equity research on Lloyds Banking Group PLC (NYSE: [ LYG ]) (LSE: LLOY) and Barclays PLC (NYSE: [ BCS ]) (LSE: BARC). Access to the full company reports can be found at:

[ www.bedfordreport.com/LYG ]
[ www.bedfordreport.com/BCS ]

In late 2011, Moody's warned the UK that its deteriorating public finances and growth outlook have crimped its ability to retain a AAA rating. While Moody's affirmed that non-euro area sovereigns within the EU -- like the UK -- can be expected to be somewhat cushioned from both the euro area sovereign debt crisis and its rating consequences, Moody's says that "no EU sovereign rating can be considered immune to this crisis."

Moody's argues that the UK faces formidable and rising challenges, and that its "outlook on the rating is likely to be sensitive to future developments in the euro area's debt crisis, even though the UK is not a member of the monetary union."

The Bedford Report releases regular market updates on the Foreign Banking Industry so investors can stay ahead of the crowd and make the best investment decisions to maximize their returns. Take a few minutes to register with us free at [ www.bedfordreport.com ] and get exclusive access to our numerous stock reports and industry newsletters.

Lloyds Banking Group plc provides various banking and financial services to personal and corporate customers primarily in the United Kingdom. Earlier this week U.S. shareholders announced that they are suing Lloyds and two of its former executives over the "reckless disregard for the truth" displayed during the rescue of lender HBOS in 2008. The shareholders said HBOS was technically insolvent within weeks of the deal being announced and was relying on funding from the Bank of England and the United States Federal Reserve Bank to stay afloat, but this information was withheld from investors.

Barclays PLC provides various financial products and services in Europe, the United States, Africa, and Asia. Last month the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) fined Barclays PLC's investment-banking division $3 million for misrepresentations related to residential subprime mortgage-backed securitizations.

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