The Biggest Rights Issue in UK history

F9 and P4 students should be aware that there are a variety of ways to raise finance (see chapter 4 of our free F9 ExPress notes. One method is by way of a rights issue where a company issues new shares and sells them to existing shareholders. Shareholders are not obliged to buy them but merely have the “right” to buy them. By being given the “right” they have the security of knowing that their shareholding won’t be diluted by shares being issued to other shareholders without first being offered them.

The Lloyds Banking Group has recently announced the UK’s largest ever rights issue and the bank hopes to raise over £13 billion. Press reports state that the main reason behind the rights issue is to raise sufficient funds to avoid the bank having to take part in the government’s banking insurance scheme that was set up after the recent banking troubles in the UK.

This is going to be an interesting one to watch. Lloyds has nearly 3 million shareholders with the majority being private shareholders. Whether or not these shareholders will be willing to take up these rights remains to be seen. They are due to meet to approve it this coming Thursday. In the run up to the exam though I’m sure students will have more to worry about than the outcome of this vote but make sure you’re aware of the various finance raising methods for the exam!