US investors jettisoned shares in early trading following a warning from consumer giant Walmart.

J.P. Morgan Private Equity Ltd (JPEL) has moved to snap up assets from the former Arch cru portfolios in a deal worth £56.5m.

German growth lurched sharply lower in the second quarter of 2011, piling more pressure on the eurozone and sending shares in the UK lower in early trading.

Updated: The FTSE 100 got off to a weak start on Friday but stablised by mid-morning following efforts in several European countries to calm volatility in share trading.

Update 4pm: Heavy losses in the battered US markets have spread to the UK and sent the index of 100 leading shares down 3.3%.

The FTSE 100 is now in the black in early trading after falling 1% on opening, after S&P's downgrade of US debt sparked a further share sell-off across the globe.

Fitch Ratings, the US fund rating service, is to launch a fund rating service covering UK funds as part of a new offering aimed at IFAs and wealth managers.

Jobs data from the US provided some much needed respite for investors on Friday, after the latest figures beat estimates.

Banking and asset management giant Investec has confirmed it has made an offer for Williams de Broe owner Evolution Group.

Hargreaves Lansdown shares fell sharply in early trading today after the FSA said in yesterday's platform paper it wants to ban payments from fund managers to platforms and cash rebates to consumers.