News

Standard & Poor's has downgraded Japan's sovereign debt rating to AA- from AA as the group expects the country's fiscal deficit to remain high in the next few years.

The coalition government's emergency budget and harsh spending cuts risk driving the UK economy back into recession, warns veteran hedge fund manager George Soros.

The Dow Jones broke through the 12,000 level for the first time since June 2008 on Wednesday, following calls for a cut in corporate taxes and a unanimous vote by policymakers to maintain a $600bn bond-buying plan.

Martin Weale has called for an immediate 0.25% increase in the Bank of England (BoE) base interest rate, echoing the view of Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) hawk Andrew Sentance.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management has launched the N-11 Equity Portfolio, a long-only fund investing in the securities of the ‘Next Eleven' countries.

Barclays is looking to close its financial advice arm next month due to declining returns and shifting investor trends.

The first AAA-rated bonds issued by the eurozone's new bailout fund have been snapped up by Asian and Middle East investors in a €5bn (£4.3bn) auction.

Aviva Investors, the insurer's global asset management business, has been granted permission to offer fund running services to the Singaporean market.

London's leading share index rose this morning, recovering from yesterday's fall following news the UK economy contracted by 0.5% in the fourth quarter of last year.

A contraction in GDP figures yesterday proves the UK recovery will be "choppy", says the Bank of England's Mervyn King who urges households to face up to austerity.