UK

The BBC is planning to tap the bond markets for the first time in order to raise capital, according to the Times.

Ashcourt Rowan will consider ‘gap fill' acquisitions of small fund businesses as it targets a new phase of growth, according to CEO Jonathan Polin.

An overhaul of Alliance Trust's top ten holdings has seen it swap Lloyds for Barclays and step up its gearing in Q1.

ON UK INCOME

Ecclesiastical has appointed Mark Hews as group chief executive officer with immediate effect.

Lloyds Banking Group has reported pre-tax profit of £2bn for the first quarter, well ahead of analysts' estimates, after the lender made a number of cost savings and profited from selling 20% of its stake in St. James's Place.

Jupiter is to promote Chris Watt to take over Philip Matthews' £368m Jupiter Growth & Income fund on 1 May as the latter leaves for Schroders.

Barclays' Q1 adjusted pre-tax profit has dropped 25% to £1.8bn after the bank took a £500m hit over its restructuring programme.

Ameriprise Financial has appeared to rule out a potential acquisition of Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP), saying available M&A opportunities "do not meet our criteria".

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has intervened in a test case in which the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is accused of mis-selling interest rate swaps.