News

The number of stocks on the US stock market has reached its lowest level since 2009 as companies cut back on share sales and buy back equity at the fastest pace in four years

Stocks in Asia rallied overnight as reports of slowing Chinese growth increased speculation the government would act to ease lending curbs and avoid a hard landing.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's has downgraded the EU bailout fund to AA+ from AAA.

China's economy grew at its slowest pace in more than two years in the final quarter of 2011, latest government figures show.

The euro has reached an 11-year low against the yen and has fallen sharply against the US dollar as investors sold the single currency following S&P's mass eurozone downgrades last Friday.

The UK and the US could be dragged into a eurozone-style sovereign debt crisis if they waver on austerity plans, said Invesco's John Greenwood.

HSBC chairman Douglas Flint has called time on the eurozone sovereign debt crisis and said it is set to be over in a "reasonably short timeframe".

Lazard Asset Management has launched a low volatility, quant-based equity fund.

Standard Life Investments' Harry Nimmo is set to run a significantly overweight position in the UK when his Global Smaller Companies fund launches on 18 January.

Liontrust is set to launch an Asian Income fund on 5 March, managed by Mark Williams, who recently joined the group when it acquired emerging market boutique Occam.