Economics / Markets

Mining companies received a boost as new Australian prime minister Julia Gillard watered down controversial tax plans.

BP is understood to be negotiating with China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) to sell a 60% stake in Pan America.

The FTSE 100 has slipped further into the red in late afternoon trading as disappointing US manufacturing and housing data added to growing concerns of stuttering global growth.

The FTSE began to recover early losses on Thursday after the European Central Bank (ECB) revealed modest take-up of its latest short-term loan facility.

BP has returned to banks seeking additional short-term loans to help tackle its growing liabilities following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Peter Hicks, head of UK retail sales at Fidelity, looks at the implications of the emergency Budget.

The death of the US consumer has been greatly exaggerated, writes Douglas Roberts, senior international economist at Standard Life Investments.

Tax lawyer Shimon Shaw, of Matthew Arnold & Baldwin, gives his views on the Budget's CGT adjustments.

Besieged BP's share price soared 9% this morning as markets weighed up its value as a takeover target as the current oil spill debacle subsides.

The FTSE 100 index opened slightly up this morning, in a fragile recovery from yesterday's mammoth losses which saw it hurtle south of the 5,000 mark.