The future of the UK economy may not be as bright as some have predicted, with the weakest recovery in "industrial history" limiting annual growth to 1% in the longer term, according to a thinktank.
The extent of a widely-reported drop in confidence in the banking system has been highlighted by an independent study charting social attitudes over the last 30 years.
Asian stocks have soared, led by Japan's Nikkei, as investor confidence was boosted by Tokyo winning the race to host the 2020 Olympics.
The economy is "turning a corner", Chancellor George Osborne is expected to say later today.
Chancellor George Osborne has urged cabinet colleagues "not to get ahead of themselves" about the UK's economic recovery.
Old Mutual Global Investors' Richard Buxton has warned five major trends could affect the global economy throughout September and October.
Gold funds were standout winners in August as investors' appetite for risk waned amid concerns of a tapering of monetary stimulus in the US and potential military action in Syria.
Positive data pointing to the increasing pace of the UK economy is putting the Bank of England (BoE) under greater pressure to rein in market expectations of an interest rate rise.