Markets

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Philip Collins has joined Sarasin & Partners to run multi-asset portfolios for the group.

Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, has sparked fears over the impact of a US default, warning it could cause a global recession.

In his final speech as deputy governor of the Bank of England Paul Tucker revealed that the resolution regime, which will allow one of the world's largest banks to collapse without being rescued, is now in place.

Janet Yellen's appointment as chairman of the US Federal Reserve could see tapering of quantitative easing (QE) as early as December, experts say.

The price of Royal Mail shares has soared well above the government's offer price after conditional trading in the company began this morning.

US markets had their best day of the year so far yesterday, with all three major indices rising by more than 2%, after politicians took a step towards agreeing a deal on the country's debt ceiling.

M&G's Tom Dobell has warned against what he sees as the "tiresome" rise in short-term trading, suggesting investors need to move away from "grazing" and hold stocks for longer.

The FTSE 100 has surged in afternoon trading - rising over 100 points - as hopes mount US politicians will agree a deal on the country's sprawling budget deficit.

M&G's Graham French has told investors last year was one of the toughest periods of his career as his fund underperformed amid a torrid time for commodities.