Renewed bank turmoil brought out share bargain-hunters again this week but will also have led to some investors shelving plans to take out last-minute Isas, say experts.

HBOS, the UK’s most widely held share and parent of the Halifax, plunged 17 per cent on Wednesday morning amid unfounded speculation that it required emergency funding. The scare came in the wake of the weekend rescue of Bear Stearns in the US, with fellow investment bank JP Morgan stepping in to buy the collapsed Wall Street giant for a knockdown price of just $240m.