Economics

All bets are off on when the Federal Reserve may begin tapering, and investors should therefore prepare themselves for a taper as early as this week, said M&G's Anthony Doyle.

The UK's headline inflation rate has fallen to its lowest level in four years after edging down to 2.1% in November.

Aggreko's share price shot up more than 8% yesterday, after the firm won contracts to supply power at next year's World Cup in Brazil and Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Shares in insurer RSA fell by as much as a fifth this morning after its chief executive quit amid a burgeoning crisis within its Irish division.

Mainstream emerging markets may have remained thoroughly out of favour this year, with developed nations driving global equity returns, but surprises can still be found in the top ten markets of 2013.

Japan's Nikkei fell for a second day overnight, while indices around the world also moved lower, as investors pull money out of the market on fears of imminent tapering by the US Fed.

The UK economy has been tipped to breach its pre-crisis peak as early as next year, instead of 2016, as previously forecast, by UK business network the British Chambers of Commerce.

US politicians have agreed a deal to set spending levels until 2015, on the same day that the 'Volcker rule' curbing bank trading was finally passed by regulators.

The UK could be the first developed country to raise interest rates, with a hike coming as soon as next year, according to Fidelity fixed income head Andrew Wells.

RBS finance director Nathan Bostock is to leave the bank to become deputy CEO at Santander UK.