Equities

Investec is bringing its $463m Global Franchise fund onshore as it expands its specialist equity range, Investment Week understands.

Close Brothers has reported a 2% rise in full-year pre-tax profits and expects its asset management division to return to profitability next year as it completes a restructuring.

The managers of the £4.4bn Artemis Income fund bought into Standard Chartered last month, but the bank's leading shareholder is reportedly looking to offload its stake.

Investors have tentatively started to add to their European equity positions following an 18-month hiatus, after the European Central Bank's actions lessened concerns the euro will fall apart.

In the latest Big Debate, our panelists from Legg Mason Global Asset Management, Smith & Williamson and S&P Capital IQ discussed US Equity Income.

EUROPE

Investec portfolio manager Max King explains why, with corporate earnings beginning to catch up to the market, the perfect time to buy equities is now, before monetary policy begins to tighten once more.

Spanish borrowing costs have fallen sharply at the country's latest debt auction, with demand also strong, after the European Central Bank (ECB) acted to tackle the funding crisis.

China should attack the Japanese bond markets and cause a full-scale funding crisis, unless the latter nation reverses a decision to nationalise the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, a senior advisor to the Chinese government said.

The Bank of Japan has followed the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank by extending its QE programme by 10trn yen.