Leading ratings agencies have re-affirmed the US' AAA-rating following the last gasp deal to approve an increase in its debt ceiling.

Hargreaves Lansdown said the FSA's proposed rule changes to platforms will have "no material impact" on its business as its shares fell sharply in early trading.

Schroders has hired GLG's Core Plus Sterling Bond fund manager Gareth Isaac.

A deal by US lawmakers to raise the country's debt ceiling passed its first hurdle last night but failed to lift shares after dreadful manufacturing data.

Europe's largest bank saw shares trading higher early on after reporting a climb in profits for the first half of 2011.

GLG has bought its flagship European long-short hedge fund, managed by GLG co-founder Pierre Lagrange, to the UK market.

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has left rates on hold at 0.5%.

Investors in News Corp, the media giant which owns The News of the World, are fleeing the company as it comes under pressure from politicians and advertisers over the phone hacking scandal.

JP Morgan has launched a global equity absolute return fund for ex-Schroders manager Gary Clarke.

Dave Dudding, who manages Threadneedle's £955m European Select fund, has named a range of stocks he is backing to get through troubled times in Europe.