Eurozone

Will excessive caution lead wealth managers to miss out on lucrative opportunities? Katie Holliday reports.

Strategic bond managers are upping their use of derivatives as liquidity issues, dislocated pricing structures and cheaper trading opportunities transform how they manage their portfolios.

Spain's borrowing costs have hit a high not seen since last November on news the government has approached the European Central Bank for help bailing out Bankia.

Some of Europe's biggest fund managers, including Amundi and Threadneedle, are dumping euro assets amid rising fears over a possible Greek exit from the single currency.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other senior European Union (EU) officials last night called on Greece to shelve plans to quit the single currency and urged it to see out its austerity programme.

David Cameron has reassured British savers worried by the a raft of downgrades of Spanish banks, describing British banks as well regulated and well capitalised.

Hedge fund veteran Crispin Odey has given his take on the "depressing story" playing out in the eurozone, suggesting beleaguered Europe and the resilient US could move in very different directions.

European equity markets have extended this week's losses at the open on Friday, after US stocks closed lower overnight, dragged down by the ongoing Greek crisis.

Equity market sentiment is still too positive to represent a real buying signal for investors, who would be better served by holding back their cash for now, boutique RMG Wealth has said.

The FTSE 100 has dropped more than 1% as the Spanish banking crisis intensified, with shares in bailed out Bankia shedding 25% today alone.