Europe

UK EQUITIES

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will still be looking for coalition partners, despite being on course to celebrate the strongest election result since Helmut Kohl's post-reunification victory of 1990.

Former Gartmore manager Guillaume Rambourg's firm Verrazzano Capital is seeking seed money as it prepares to add a new fund to its product range, Investment Week can reveal.

Shares in investment manager Ashmore Group have jumped more than 8% after the company released strong full year results this morning.

IT

Andreas Zoellinger, co-manager of the BlackRock Continental European Income fund, is backing mid-caps for dividends as valuations in some larger companies become overstretched.

Shares in low-cost airline Ryanair tumbled 15% on Wednesday after the firm issued a surprise profit warning.

EUROPE

PIMCO, the world's largest bond house, lost its position as the best-selling fund group in Europe in the first half of the year.

Pilots know that taking off with a strong tailwind behind you can be dangerous. Seasoned investors know the same thing. The best time to invest in equities is not when margins are high and sales are growing; it is easy to make errors of optimism and overpay...