News

Sterling has rocketed to a ten-month high against the dollar today as bullish equities and oil prices boosted market sentiment and investor risk appetites.

Barclays Wealth is reissuing its five-year Target Growth Plan which offers investors the opportunity for solid returns even if the FTSE 100 index suffers a significant fall.

Way Fund Managers (WFM) chief executive, David Pook, is to retire from the firm at the end of September with a number of changes also announced to the group's third party division, Elite.

The UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) reached 50.8 in July, the first time it has registered a level above the neutral mark of 50 since March 2008.

Two of Britain's biggest insurers are poised to slash dividends this week, potentially derailing the stockmarket's blockbuster summer rally, The Times reports.

Miners are leading the FTSE 100 higher this morning, as Barclays announced a near £3bn pre-tax profit for the first half of 2009.

Dexion Alpha Strategies shareholders have voted unanimously in favour of changing the fund's focus to invest in commodities hedge funds.

US shares gained as investors took heart from better-than-expected US GDP numbers showing the pace of economic decline is slowing.

ETF assets have grown by 11% year-to-date, according to Barclays Global Investors' latest ETF Landscape Industry Review.

Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed the UK's AAA credit rating, saying it has "exceptional financing flexibility".