Equities

BlackRock's Richard Plackett, manager of the £1.4bn UK Special Situations fund, has identified five small and mid-cap stocks which have helped him add value to his fund.

Facebook shares fell 10% in after-hours trading after the company revealed a second quarter loss of $157m as revenue growth slowed.

Barclays has reported pre-tax profits of £4.2bn for the six months to 30 June but has set aside £450m for swaps redress and revealed its finance director is involved in a fresh investigation by the FSA.

Fidelity's Anthony Bolton has moved to reassure investors now is the perfect time to be in the Chinese markets, as hedge funds withdraw from the region and short-sellers move in.

The chief executive of Japan's Nomura Holdings has resigned following a damaging insider trading scandal.

The British Bankers Association (BBA) has come under fire from a former member of the LIBOR compilation team at Thomson Reuters, who claims the organisation was told on a weekly basis in 2008 that the rates were being distorted.

Alison Carnwath, the head of the Barclays remuneration committee that approved former CEO Bob Diamond's £17m pay package earlier this year, has left the bank.

Apple shares led the fallers on the Nasdaq shortly after open following a disappointing second quarter trading update from the tech giant.

Anthony Bolton has said he expects to see more positive news emerging from China later this year after a fall in inflation left the authorities with more flexibility to boost growth.

Spain and Germany have moved to reassure investors the former will not need a full-blown bailout, while Greece has found itself back in the headlines after a warning it faces imminent bankruptcy.