Markets

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has warned Scotland it will lose the pound if it votes to become independent from the rest of the UK.

ON UK GROWTH

Arch Financial Products' chief executive Robin Farrell has accused the funds' new manager of giving misleading statements in court.

Lloyds Banking Group posted a pre-tax profit in 2013 for the first time since its government bailout and plans to restart dividend payments in the second half of the year.

The Ruffer investment trust's protective assets have "earned their keep" so far this year, countering losses from its position in Japanese equities, the managers have said.

The Bank of England has today said it will not hike rates "for some time to come" - with the base rate potentially at 2% by 2017 - as governor Mark Carney begins to alter his forward guidance policy.

Sterling has climbed against a basket of currencies including the dollar this morning after the Bank of England altered its forward guidance policy and revealed GDP is expected to overshoot expectations.

It is harder for equity managers to invest now than in the run up to the financial crisis, according to Bruce Stout, manager of the £1.3bn Murray International trust.

Analysts at Numis have compared charges from the likes of Barclays, Brewin, Coutts and Rathbones to investigate how industry fees stack up against platforms' newly-unveiled clean prices.

Three former members of the Bank of England's rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) have suggested interest rates could rise sooner than expected.