sterling

Scottish first minister Alex Salmond has accused the three main UK parties of "bluff, bluster and bullying" after they rejected plans to share the pound with an independent Scotland.

Sterling has climbed against a basket of currencies including the dollar this morning after the Bank of England altered its forward guidance policy and revealed GDP is expected to overshoot expectations.

Investec is considering the sale of Kensington, its intermediary mortgage business in the UK, and has appointed Fenchurch Advisory to conduct the procedure.

Sterling will continue to strengthen this year as investors continue to price in an earlier-than-expected rate rise, according to currency group ECU's head of trading and execution.

The sharp drop in the UK unemployment rate and mounting expectations of a 2014 rate hike pushed sterling to a two-year high versus the US dollar in morning trading.

Pioneer Investments has launched a UK version of its Absolute Return Bond fund, run by Tanguy Le Saout and Cosimo Marasciulo.

Sterling hit a five-year high on Monday as data from the UK's manufacturing sector came in stronger than expected.

Macro data was at the forefront of investors' minds this week, after a surprise drop in UK inflation sent the pound lower.

Sterling rose to its highest level in nine months against the US dollar as the US government slipped into a partial shutdown.

The FTSE 100 index was in the red just after midday, dragged down by mining stocks which sold-off as oil and metals prices weakened.