Economics

The FTSE 100 had a slow start to the week, down 0.32% or 18.43 points to 5,684.94, following mixed sessions in Asia and the US.

The leaders of 35 of the UK's biggest companies have expressed their support for the government's plans for spending cuts running into billions of pounds.

Harsh banking regulation will negatively impact the economic recovery and cost upwards of 10 million jobs globally, the world's leading bankers have warned.

The Institute of Directors (IoD) wants a further £50bn in quantitative easing, on top of the £200bn already injected into the economy to boost the money supply.

Schroders' Keith Wade says the US and UK are increasingly likely to see another round of QE, but he questions whether it will bring any immediate boost to the sluggish economies.

Financial regulators have reached a deal to force global banks to double the spare cash they hold in the biggest shake-up since the economic crisis nearly brought down the system.

Michael Hasenstab, Franklin Templeton's co-director of international bonds, is shorting the yen on expectations it will weaken against the US dollar as the Japanese authorities prepare to print money.

Britain's largest banks will present their "living wills" to the FSA next month, ahead of the G20 summit of leading industrialised nations in South Korea.

Nouriel Roubini, the economist dubbed ‘Dr Doom' for predicting the US housing crash, believes the dollar, yen and Swiss franc may be better investments than gold if the global economy suffers a double dip.

THE BIG INTERVIEW