Economics

Better-than-expected first quarter results from Apple and Facebook have pushed both stocks higher in after-hours US trading to help calm concerns over technology stocks' performance.

Vince Cable has attacked the salaries paid to the executives at the top of FTSE 100 companies and warned the government may intervene if boards do not rein in 'excessive' payouts.

While markets across Europe took a break over the long Easter holiday, Asian markets fluctuated between gains and losses, weighed down by expected weak Chinese manufacturing data to be released this week.

GlaxoSmithKline, the UK's largest pharmaceutical group, and rival AstraZeneca, saw shares jump sharply - with the latter up 10% - as a series of deals in the sector boosted prices.

Alastair Winter, chief economist at Daniel Stewart & Co, reveals his global economic outlook following a turbulent first quarter - and warns there will be plenty of opportunities to lose money in 2014.

Sterling has climbed to a four-year high against the dollar after the UK's jobless rate, one of the triggers for an interest rate rise, was breached.

UK CPI inflation fell for a sixth consecutive month in March to hit a fresh four-year low, according to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Another day of losses yesterday has left the UK's main mid-cap index down almost 7% since the start of March - underperforming both large and small caps as warnings on valuations made at the start of the year ring true.

The FTSE 100 was down nearly 1% this morning, while gold was in the ascendency, as investors sold down BP amid the latest developments in Ukraine.

The FTSE 100 was down over 1% by 11am, with Hargreaves Lansdown leading the market lower after being downgraded by Morgan Stanley.