Economics / Markets

OUTLOOK

US markets soared to new all-time highs on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve made a surprise early move to gradually scale back quantitative easing.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney has warned on the complications of withdrawing monetary stimulus - just hours before the US Federal Reserve may announce a tapering of its own asset purchase programme.

The UK's headline inflation rate has fallen to its lowest level in four years after edging down to 2.1% in November.

The UK economy has been tipped to breach its pre-crisis peak as early as next year, instead of 2016, as previously forecast, by UK business network the British Chambers of Commerce.

CHINA

SOAPBOX

Veteran UK fund manager Anthony Bolton believes that the chance of a Western-style banking crisis in China is "extremely remote".

SCOTLAND

Hargreaves Lansdown has flagged up five key investment themes to benefit from the announcements made in yesterday's Autumn Statement.