Markets

European Central Bank policymaker Jens Weidmann has warned that putting pressure on central banks to pursue more aggressive monetary policies could spark 'currency wars' in the future.

The Bank of Japan(BoJ) has taken more aggressive measures to kick-start growth than analysts expected by doubling its inflation target from 1% to 2% and pledging to pump billions of yen into the economy.

Jupiter's Merlin multi-manager team have shifted their UK equity allocation within the £1.7bn Merlin Growth portfolio in order to gain exposure to active managers looking across the FTSE 350 spectrum.

Barclays is at the centre of further scandal after a senior executive quit following revelations he shredded a report which said part of the bank was "out of control".

Japan's Nikkei 225 index has closed down 1.5% as investors took profits ahead of the conclusion of a key central bank meeting tomorrow.

BLOG

Japanese markets have jumped almost 5% in the first three weeks of the year - almost unheard of for the region - in anticipation of a reversal of the decade and half long slump into deflation.

ASSET ALLOCATION

Invesco Perpetual has announced Mark Armour will take over as CEO at the end of this year, following the retirement of James Robertson.

The pound has fallen to a fresh low below €1.20 for the first time in over nine months.