NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Feb 13, 2012) - U.K. Banks have begun to report quarterly earnings, with The Wall Street Journal arguing that analysts are still uncertain about how the British banks will ride out the unfolding debt crisis in Europe. Five Star Equities examines investing opportunities in the Foreign Banking Industry and provides equity research on HSBC Holdings PLC (NYSE: [ HBC ]) (LSE: HSBA) and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (NYSE: [ RBS ]) (LSE: RBS). Access to the full company reports can be found at:

[ www.fivestarequities.com/HBC ]

[ www.fivestarequities.com/RBS ]

Citigroup analyst Andrew Coomb said last week that U.K. banks could see weak loan growth in 2012 as households and corporations cut debt levels amid a tough economic environment and regulators press them to raise capital ratios.

According to a recent article from The Wall Street Journal, analysts are questioning the feasibility of targets set last year by the likes of Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and RBS as concerns increase over how U.K. banks will implement stricter regulations while continuing to appease political pressure to lend to small and medium businesses.

Five Star Equities 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.fivestarequities.com ] and get exclusive access to our numerous stock reports and industry newsletters.

Last week Bloomberg reported that Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc dismissed at least four employees in connection with a probe of potential interest-rate manipulation. Regulators' requests for information from interdealer brokers mark a widening of the global investigation into whether there were attempts to manipulate the London, Tokyo and euro interbank offered rates.

HSBC Holdings plc provides various banking and financial products and services. Its Personal Financial Services group offers current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and payment services, wealth management services comprising insurance and investment products, and financial planning services and consumer finance.

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