IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has shortlisted French finance minister Christine Lagarde and governor of the bank of Mexico Agustin Carstens for the top job as managing director.

Japan's economy will shrink 0.7% this year because of the massive earthquake and tsunami which struck the country in March, said the IMF.

Portugal has moved a step closer to implementing a €78bn bail-out programme after the country's Social Democrats (PSD) won a conclusive victory in the general election yesterday.

Regulators are comparing ETFs with collateralised debt obligations, but do the two products share any common ground? Helen Fowler reports

"Spain is like Ireland, Portugal and Greece, only more so," warns Stuart Thomson, Chief Economist with Ignis Asset Management.

Barclays' decision to cut 500 positions in its corporate banking business has meant job losses in the UK banking sectors have hit almost 1,400 this week.

French finance minister Christine Lagarde has thrown her hat into the ring for the vacant top spot at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

I have long been of the view that when economic historians review the last 20 years they will condemn Gordon Brown as one of the worst Chancellors (and Prime Ministers) we ever had.

With embattled Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigning from the IMF amid rape allegations a vacancy has arisen for the top spot.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn this morning gave in to mounting pressure following his arrest for an alleged sexual assault by resigning from the IMF.