Equities

Investors have been trading equities en masse according to the latest data from BlackRock, with 94% of a record $262.7bn of flows accounted for by the asset class last month.

Trevor Matthews, chief executive of Aviva UK, is to step down from the role.

CLEAN

RBS has confirmed it faces not only a monetary fine but also other unspecified sanctions in relation to the LIBOR fixing scandal.

Big banks will be forcibly broken up if they fail to heed new rules to ring-fence their investment arms from their consumer-facing operations, George Osborne is expected to say on Monday.

The start of 2013 has brought some New Year cheer to equity investors, with the FTSE 100 recording its best January since 1989.

The FTSE 100 rose 6.43%, or almost 380 points, in January, making this the strongest start to the year since 1989.

Assets under management in UK funds reached a record £658bn last year, with fixed income yet again the best-selling asset class despite a late surge in interest in equities.

DIVIDENDS

London's leading share index is on course to record its best January performance since 1998, despite fears the UK economy could fall into a triple-dip recession later this year.