Markets

The UK economy is set to grow by 2.5% this year and 2.1% in 2015, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) has predicted.

Vodafone, the second largest mobile operator in the world, has seen a sharp fall in revenue due to lack of demand and increased competition in Europe.

AstraZeneca' profits dropped sharply in Q4 as strong emerging market sales failed to offset competition from cheap generics, and several of its leading drugs edged towards the patent cliff.

Investec is considering the sale of Kensington, its intermediary mortgage business in the UK, and has appointed Fenchurch Advisory to conduct the procedure.

Jupiter's emerging Europe specialist Elena Shaftan is to retire from the group, with her funds handed over to Kathryn Langridge, Investment Week understands.

ON UK INCOME

Hargreaves Lansdown shares have fallen sharply this morning after the group announced its interim results and a reversal of some of its new pricing plans.

Edward Bonham Carter has compared the reaction of markets to the end of ultra-loose policy to "Lance Armstrong coming off the drugs" in one of his final speeches as Jupiter chief executive.

Former Royal Bank of Scotland head Stephen Hester is to join insurer RSA as CEO with immediate effect.

The MSCI Asia ex-Japan index hit its lowest level for four months yesterday, after disappointing US construction data.