Economics / Markets

PETER Bickley, director of economics at Tilney, has countered suggestions that interest rates are certain to fall in the coming months.

The FTSE 100 has started the week down as miners struck losses for the index, closing 54.9 points lower, or 0.83%, to 6540.9.

The FTSE fell 2.8 points, or 0.04%, this morning to 6593p.

RICHARD Moore, manager of Abbey UK Growth, has outlined his caution over the domestic market, characterised by tighter lending criteria which he said is keeping the consumer under pressure.

ANDREW Sutherland, head of credit, fixed interest at Standard Life Investments (SLI), has suggested that improvements in banking transparency and money market liquidity are required before credit markets can progress.

EMERGING markets are set to account for more than a third of the world's market capitalisation by 2017, fund houses have agreed.

The FTSE closed at 6595.8p this afternoon after rising 47.9 points, or 0.73%.

A sweet start on the FTSE has seen the index rise 28.8 points, or 0.44%, to 6576.7.

THE world economy is showing signs of breaking away from the US, evidenced by a significant shift in the balance of growth across the major global markets, according to Keith Wade, chief economist at Schroders.

In London, markets closed ahead and the FTSE 100 was up 12.7 points, or 0.19%, to 6,547.9.