U.S. hedge fund takes HSBC short, repeats HBOS ploy

Harbinger said in a regulatory filing it has taken a 0.26 percent short position in HSBC's London shares, worth about 110 million pounds ($157 million). By 0910 GMT the shares were up 2.5 percent at 356 pence.

Harbinger has also unveiled a series of short positions in Spanish banks in recent weeks, including a short position of 1 percent in BBVA (BBVA.MC) and 0.4 percent in Santander (SAN.MC).

It has also been declaring almost on a daily basis short positions in other Spanish lenders, particularly in Banco Popular (POP.MC) and Sabadell (SABE.MC).

The hedge fund -- run by Philip Falcone, who was one of five hedge fund managers quizzed by U.S. lawmakers last November -- took a 3.3 percent short position in HBOS during last summers's rights issue.