Britannic has halted talks with potential buyers following the collapse of the stockmarket. Britannic shares have halved over the past year, falling to the lowest level in almost a decade. The insurer blamed falling markets for its lack of progress in finding a merger partner. Harold Cottam, chairman, said that although a number of opportunities had been explored, it is unlikely in the current market that full value can be achieved through an offer for the group as a whole. Mr Cottam dismissed a report by an ABN Amro broker who suggested that Britannic would have solvency problems if the FTSE100 Index fell below 4700. The index has fallen below 4000. Britannic Asset Management IFA sales totalled £64.2 million for the first six months of this year, which is 65% higher than the same period last year.