Barclays Bank

Lloyds Banking Group is expecting to make a profit in 2010 after making losses of £6.3bn last year.

The US and the UK have moved "substantially" closer to losing their AAA credit ratings as the cost of servicing their debt rose, according to Moody's Investors Service.

Fitch Ratings has delivered a serious blow to the credibility of the Government's budget plans, warning that Britain risks a loss of investor confidence and erosion of its AAA rating unless it maps out clear austerity measures.

George Soros doubled his investment in the world's largest gold fund just weeks before claiming investing in the precious metal is now the "ultimate bubble".

Barclays has reported a 92% increase in full-year profits.

Of all the crises of the last 10 years, the most recent had the most casualties. Thanks to their sound portfolio construction, global macro hedge funds were not one of the fallen

Top five funds in IMA Strategic Bond sector all return above 4% over one year against an average of 23.1%

The major UK banks are falling as the market absorbs the wider implications of Barack Obama's plans to keep US banks on a tighter leash.

In early trading, the FTSE was steady as a response to President Obama's statement on banking regulation, rising 0.1% to 5343.23, however financial stocks fell as UK markets opened.

Former head of Fidelity FundsNetwork David Dalton-Brown has joined Barclays Wealth to lead its funds division.