Economics / Markets

Eurozone annual inflation hit a 20-month high in July at 1.7%, figures from Eurostat show.

Japan's economy grew at a much weaker than expected pace and was overshadowed by China in the second quarter.

The FTSE 100 opened higher, up 0.26% or 13.87 points to 5,289.31, supported by M&A activity in the resources sector.

Leading bankers are claiming to be so hamstrung by bonus restrictions they are threatening to relocate overseas.

Insurers rallied on Friday following speculation over bid interest in Aviva's general insurance business.

German GDP grew 2.2% in the second quarter, the largest gain in more than 20 years.

Keith Skeoch, the head of Standard Life Investments, has predicted the FTSE 100 will close the year at 6,000 points, 14% higher than yesterday's closing figure.

Former member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) David Blanchflower says the UK will need "a lot more" quantitative easing (QE) to avoid a double dip recession.

The FTSE 100 has slid more than 2% lower this afternoon after US markets suffered even sharper losses in early Wednesday trading.

The Bank of England has revised down its forecast for UK economic growth and expects inflation to remain above the 2% target until the end of next year.