Economics

Hedge fund giants are said to be preparing to short sterling after it fell to its lowest level against the dollar since July this week.

Prime Minister David Cameron has called on Royal Bank of Scotland to speed its return to the private sector amid speculation the government may give away its stake to the public.

Frontier markets are less volatile, more diversified and a better bet for dividends than their broader emerging market peers, according to HSBC's Andrew Brudenell.

A group of MPs has criticised government attempts to stimulate the economy, including quantitative easing, for being "expensive experiments".

Jupiter CEO Edward Bonham Carter has called into question the equity market rally, suggesting current moves do not yet signal the start of a new bull market.

Germany's GDP slumped by the most in four years in Q4 2012, with French, Italian and Japanese growth also contracting more than expected on the quarter.

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee will tolerate missing the inflation target for the next two years in order to support the UK recovery, said Bank governor Mervyn King.

The UK will avoid falling into a 'triple-dip' recession but external forces still pose a danger to the economy, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

UK CPI inflation stood at 2.7% for the fourth consecutive month in January, but fears over longer-term forecasts sent sterling to a six month low in early trading.

Japanese equities have led Asian markets higher as news of a nuclear test by North Korea failed to significantly dampen optimism after a three-day break.