Operation Twist - the Federal Reserve's latest attempt to boost economic growth in the US - sent markets globally tumbling overnight, with major indices in the US and Asia shedding up to 3%.

London's blue chip index remained in the red mid-afternoon despite gains in the US, with investors cautious ahead of the all-important meeting of the Fed in the US.

The case for further QE in the UK "significantly strengthened" in the past month, with any repeat of recent economic woes likely to lead to further stimulus, the MPC has said.

Imperial Tobacco, one of Neil Woodford's top 10 stocks across his income portfolios, has reported full-year trading will be in line with previous forecasts, with its share price rising over 2% in reaction.

The FTSE 100 dipped in early trading after a muted session for markets overnight, as investors await news on quantitative easing in the US and the UK, and as the European Union's Greek bailout talks continued.

Schroders' Richard Buxton has warned plans to ring-fence banks will force HSBC and Standard Chartered to redomicile outside the UK, causing more woe for the economy.

Schroders' Richard Buxton has revealed he was congratulated by Artemis' Tim Steer for holding tech firm Autonomy as it received a bid approach - a time when Steer was shorting the stock.

Old Mutual Asset Managers is to launch a long/short UK equity fund for Simon Murphy.

Facebook has delayed its $66.5bn IPO until late 2012 in order to keep employees focused on their jobs rather than a payout, according to reports.

Darwin's David Jane, JPM's Nick Gartside, MAM's Martin Gray, and Andrew Cole of Barings look at the similarities and differences between today's market and economic backdrop and the crisis that followed the Lehman collapse in 2008.