Exclusive - Lloyds Bank closes in on Berlin as post-Brexit EU hub: sources

By Andrew MacAskill and Lawrence WhiteLONDON (Reuters) - Lloyds Banking Groupis close to selecting Berlin as a European base to secure market access to the European Union when Britain leaves the bloc, sources told Reuters.Britain's largest mortgage lender is examining steps to turn its branch in the German capital into a subsidiary and may apply for a licence to do so later this year, the sources said.Lloyds, which declined to comment, is the only major British retail lender without a subsidiary