Markets

ON UK GROWTH

Disappointing results have sent HSBC shares down 5% and erased the FTSE 100's early gains on the first day of trading this week.

CURRENCIES

Alan Hughes, the former chief executive of First Direct, is to lead a £1bn bid to buy 315 branches of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney will this week set out his long-awaited strategy for interest rates with a set of policies designed to reassure borrowers rates will stay low for many months to come.

The new chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Ross McEwan, was facing his first challenge this weekend after leading shareholders in the bank signalled they would not support breaking it up even if the Treasury insists on going ahead.

Treasury yields have fallen back towards the 2.6% mark after US jobs figures for July missed expectations.

Popular stories among our readers this week focused on asset allocation, as investors look for ideas on where the best income opportunities will be in years to come.

Consumer sector growth in China could bolster the economy and make the country a better long-term investment than it may currently appear, according to fund managers.

Shares in the Royal Bank of Scotland dropped as much as 6% after the bank reported its half year results and announced its new CEO.