The Swiss National Bank (SNB) said last night it had lost an "outstanding" central banker after Philipp Hildebrand resigned over the scandal surrounding his wife's currency dealings.

Germany today issued €4bn of 6-month debt with a negative yield for the first time at auction as investors continue to pile into the perceived safe haven amid the ongoing eurozone crisis.

The US created more jobs than forecast in December as the country's economy continued to signal it is returning to steady growth.

The FTSE 100 was trading higher this morning ahead of the release of a crucial jobs report in the US which will indicate how the recovery is progressing.

Old Mutual Asset Managers' bond fund manager Stewart Cowley has warned investors in gilt funds face major headwinds in 2012, after falls in yields to record lows left them with little protection from coupons if prices start to come down.

Dragons' Den star Peter Jones is among a group of potential buyers interested in acquiring ailing firm Blacks Leisure.

The Swiss banking chief caught up in a political storm over allegations his wife shorted the Swiss franc just days before intervention from the central bank, has given a statement defending the transacations.

The European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) has sold €3bn of debt in an oversubscribed auction, passing its first major test of 2012.

Switzerland's central bank is embroiled in a political storm after it was revealed the wife of the governor sold 500,000 Swiss francs shortly before the authorities intervened to cap the value of the currency.

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