Economics

Which markets fared best during a tumultuous year?

UniCredit has seen its shares suspended for the second time after they plunged almost 10% as it unveiled the price of a €7.5bn (£6.3bn) rights issue.

INTEREST RATES

The FTSE 100 closed at its highest level for over two months last night as world markets soared on the first day of trading in 2012.

The US Federal Reserve is to start publishing forecasts of where it expects interest rates to be in the future in an effort to strengthen the economic recovery.

US indices have opened almost 2% higher on the first trading day of 2012 as risk appetite resumes across global markets.

Investec Asset Management's Max King and Philip Saunders have backed the winners of the 2011 to once again outperform this year amid ongoing volatility in global markets.

Investment veteran Jim Rogers has predicted the euro could see a near-term bounce, despite investors continuing to be overly bearish on the eurozone.

A Greek government spokesman has said the country will leave the single currency if it fails to secure a second, €130bn bailout deal by March.

Brazil became the world's sixth largest economy in 2011, overtaking the UK, after continuing to see breakneck growth while the UK economy stuttered.