US

PIMCO's Bill Gross has said US debt to GDP could accelerate towards 800% over the next five years if all actual liabilities are taken into account.

ON NORTH AMERICA

The Federal Reserve announced plans to extend Operation Twist by $267bn as it cut its growth forecast for the US economy from 2.9% to 2.4% in 2012.

Max King, portfolio manager in Investec Asset Management's multi-asset team, asks whether the disparity between US and European equity market performance is justified, suggesting now could be the perfect entry point into stocks.

ON THE US

Former billionaire Allen Stanford, who stole $7bn from his investors in a Ponzi scheme, has been sentenced to 110 years in US courts.

This year's charity auction for lunch with Warren Buffett closed last week with a winning bid of $3.46m.

The positive impact of China's rate cut was dampened overnight in Asian and US markets as Ben Bernanke failed to clarify the Fed's policy approach in a speech yesterday.

Companies are still 'seriously unprepared' for the FATCA rules which will come into force in January next year, a new survey by Thomson Reuters has revealed.

Weak US jobs data has caused panic in global markets and forced US Treasury yields to fall to yet another record low.