News

Barclays was among six global banking groups to be downgraded by Fitch last night, with the ratings agency pointing to challenging financial markets.

2011 has been a year when some of the most popular emerging market managers paid the price for the breakneck growth of recent years, with investors fleeing to safe havens as equities tanked amid the eurozone debt crisis.

Head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde has warned the world economic outlook is "gloomy" and no country is safe from rising risks.

The head of the Bank of France has attacked the UK's AAA-rating and called for it to be downgraded - as expectations increase of a downgrade to France's rating.

THEY SAID WHAT?

Renowned commodity investor Tim Guinness has taken a stake in North Investment Partners.

Octopus Investments' chief investment officer Lothar Mentel is leaving the business to pursue other opportunities, Investment Week can reveal.

North Investment Partners has appointed three non-executive directors to its board as it seeks to strengthen its business ahead of RDR.

Nigel Legge's new firm Vinculum is intending to launch a second fund investing in US equities next year.

Asian shares fell into bear market territory for the year overnight, while commodities and the euro suffered heavy falls on renewed eurozone fears.