Global

Jason Hepner, investment director for global strategy at Standard Life Investments, looks at whether your clients could benefit from investing in this diverse region

The eurozone faces a "mild" recession in the first half of next year, restricting full-year economic growth in the region to just 0.1%, according to Ernst & Young.

Heavy selling of the euro saw it tumble through the $1.30 mark versus the US dollar late this morning to its lowest level since early January.

The Federal Reserve has opted to leave monetary policy unchanged and continue with Operation Twist at least until the new year, amid signs the world's largest economy has been expanding.

The German central bank told me in no uncertain terms last week it was not printing Deutsche Marks, despite growing speculation - and a number of sources - pointing to the contrary.

Shares tumbled across Europe yesterday and in the US overnight after ratings agency Moody's disclosed fresh concerns over the European sovereign debt crisis and reiterated it would review the ratings of all 27 EU nations in the first quarter of next year....

Skerritts' head of investments Andrew Merricks asks if there are any ‘safe' investments out there as the eurozone hurtles towards a messy denouement.

Standard & Poor's has said it may downgrade the European Union's AAA rating and make further cuts to eurozone banks' credit ratings if a review of eurozone countries prompts mass sovereign downgrades.

Economic growth in the UK will be subdued and output will fail to reach 2008 levels until 2013, according to the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR).

With more companies open to the idea of paying dividends, Elliot Farley, co-manager of the T. Bailey Growth fund, says emerging markets are no longer just about capital growth.