Economics

TOP TEN

Smaller companies and recovery stocks were highly featured in wealth managers' best performing funds of the year, much to the chagrin of those continuing to back defensive names.

The incoming Bank of England governor Mark Carney has sparked speculation he will push for the removal of the UK's CPI inflation target if the mediocre recovery in the UK takes another tumble, but is it a good plan?

The Queen has spoken about "lax" City workers and a banking regulator which "did not have the teeth" to intervene as she discussed the causes of the financial crisis during a visit to the Bank of England.

Standard & Poor's has become the third main credit rating agency to put the UK's AAA rating on "negative" watch.

The US Federal Reserve has expanded the scope of its quantitative easing programme and suggested interest rates will not rise until US unemployment falls below 6.5%.

Warren Buffett's investment group Berkshire Hathaway has completed a $1.2bn share buyback after snapping up the shares of an unnamed long-term shareholder.

Northern Rock Asset Management is to compensate customers who took out loans with the bank a share of £270m, following errors made in paperwork.

Incoming Bank of England governor Mark Carney has suggested struggling economies dump inflation targeting in order to kick-start growth.

The FTSE 100 has reached its highest level since March following positive consumer data from Germany and signs of improving growth in China.