After a strategic review Bradford-based specialist lender Provident Financial has decided to close its loss-making division Yes Car Credit (YCC).

Company top brass came to this decision when no buyers emerged after 3 months of talks. YCC is expected to make a loss of £24 million in 2005 and the closure of YCC will cost a total of 820 jobs and £141m.

In the trading statement released on December 14 the company admitted these losses will contribute to a full year profit figure which will be 5 per cent below the existing consensus - in simpler terms, the company released a profit warning.

YCC is not entirely responsible for the profit warning; the group has endured a tough second half of trading in the year.

Consumers have felt the effect of rising fuel and utility bills, consequently Provident Financial have reported an increase in 'impairment' (or bad debts) and a decline in customer numbers. One ray of light was the good performance at Provident Insurance; profits in this division are expected to rise to £40m for 2005.

Cattles, another financial services company specialising in lending to less credit-worthy customers, also released a trading statement in the last week.

In contrast to Provident Financial it contained no surprises. Full-year results will be in line with expectations. Customer arrears levels remain stable and the bad debt charge for 2005 is also expected to arrive at consensus estimates.

Now on to supermarkets, and has the WM Morrison share price reached its nadir? The stock has risen 14 per cent since late October and recent data from market researcher Taylor Nelson Sofres shows the companies share of the UK grocery market for the 12 weeks ending December 4 has remained stable at 11.3 per cent.

This marks the fifth consecutive period its market share has been unchanged. Morrison's competitors have suffered mixed fortunes in the run up to Christmas. Asda continues to lose ground but the juggernaught that is Tesco motors on. Tesco boasted a 30.6 per cent market share over the period, up from 28.7 per cent in the same period last year. Bradford & Bingley released a bullish trading statement last week indicating pre-tax profits should arrive 'comfortably' ahead of analysts' forecasts. The quarter-point cut in UK interest rates in August has driven lending volumes higher across mortgage banks plus causing house prices to stabilise.

The bank cited good cost control and record levels of lending - this has forced the city number-crunchers to upgrade their estimates. Bradford & Bingley has certainly benefited. The share price has moved to a lifetime high of over 400p.