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 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.fivestarequities.com/LYG ]

[ www.fivestarequities.com/BCS ]

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.

In an effort to cut costs, Lloyds bank said last week that it is cutting close to 1,000 U.K. positions and closing some offices. In addition to job cuts, Lloyds plans to make efficiency savings by improving processes and technology, reducing management layers and centralizing support functions, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Barclays PLC provides various financial products and services in Europe, the United States, Africa, and Asia. It offers retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services.

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