Global stock markets were heading for their best week of the year on Friday following reassuring company results, encouraging data from the world's biggest economies and signs the ECB is upping its efforts to lift Europe.
United Kingdom
RBS takes $640 million forex charge and warns of more to come
State-backed Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) has set aside 400 million pounds ($640 million) to cover potential fines for manipulating currency markets and warned further charges for past misconduct would continue to hit its profits.
Don't panic, OPEC secretary general says after oil price fall
There is no need to panic at the recent drop in oil prices, the secretary general of OPEC said on Wednesday, saying low prices would curb competing supplies and require the group to pump far more by the end of the decade.
Shell Midstream Partners prices IPO at $23/unit
Shell Midstream Partners LP IPO-SHLX.N, a master limited partnership formed by Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSa.L), priced its enlarged initial public offering of 40 million units at $23 per unit, above its expected price range of $19-$21 per unit.
Bank stress test relief lifts European assets
European stocks, low-rated government bonds and the single currency all rose on Monday as financial markets gave a tentative thumbs-up to euro zone bank health checks.
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Drugmakers are looking for some kind of indemnity from governments or multilateral agencies against possible losses or claims arising from the widespread emergency use of new Ebola vaccines in Africa.
A dramatic upswing in volatility is putting post-crisis financial markets to the test, as curbs on banks' ability to take risks and an increase in technology-driven trading expose potential new cracks in the system.
British insurer Standard Life (SL.L) and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) (601398.SS) said on Wednesday they had agreed to look at developing savings and investment services together.
European shares edged up and the euro hit a one-week low against the dollar on Wednesday, driven by upbeat company earnings results and hopes of corporate bond buying by the European Central Bank.
Banks who submit quotes for compiling Libor interest rates will have to follow a manual of instructions to avoid a repeat of the rigging seen in the past, the benchmark's new administrator said on Monday.
UK lender Virgin Money has postponed its London stock market listing, the company said on Friday, delaying plans to raise around 150 million pounds ($241.5 million) in a float that could have valued the firm at 1.5-2 billion pounds ($2.4-3.2 billion).
British pub chain Spirit Pub Company Plc (SPRTC.L) said its board was in talks with ale maker Greene King Plc (GNK.L) on a revised 109.5 pence-per-share takeover offer, valuing Spirit Pub at 723.3 million pounds ($1.16 billion).
When Europe announced its latest health check of top banks early last year it promised a "comprehensive assessment" of how well prepared they were to withstand another financial crisis.
Investors may have over-reacted to signs of economic slowdown, although they have been right to price in weaker global growth prospects, the Bank of England's chief economist said in a Sunday newspaper interview.
