China funds cut suggested equity allocations as hopes for recovery evaporate: Reuters poll

(Reuters) - Chinese fund managers will cut the proportion of their portfolios invested in stocks over the next three months, following July's upward trend, as hopes for a quick economic recovery falter, a Reuters poll shows.

Canada Stocks Fall as Oil Drops, Royal Bank Slips After Earnings

Canadian stocks fell a second day, retreating from a record, as energy producers slumped with crude posting the longest losing streak in nine months and investors weighed earnings from Royal Bank of Canada.

UK bank lending lags G7, more help needed: survey

(Reuters) - British bank lending to the corporate sector lagged lending in other Group of Seven leading economies last year, despite government attempts to boost the availability of credit, a survey showed on Monday.

Week Ahead: Housing Data and GDP

Housing data and a report on gross domestic product will highlight next week’s economic calendar. U.S. banks and securities markets are closed Monday for the Memorial Day holiday.

Bank of England's Bean says may be case for earlier rate hikes: BBC

(Reuters) - The Bank of England's plan to increase interest rates only gradually may mean it should move earlier than would otherwise be the case, a top policymaker at the central bank said.

Stocks barely budge at end of volatile week

After hitting new highs earlier in the week, stocks were under pressure for a third day Friday as worries about the economic recovery grow.

Average house price in England could double in next decade, report says

The average price of a house in England could double in the next decade and hit more than £900,000 by 2034, unless there is a radical new housebuilding programme to provide nearly a quarter of a million new homes a year, a report claims today.

Stocks and shares ISA investors rewarded last year

Investors who put their savings into stocks and shares ISAs were well rewarded over the last year, according to new research.

Global investors' bet on Europe recovery picks up pace

PARIS, March 10 (Reuters) - After being shunned by investors for years, the euro zone is attracting global funds at the fastest pace ever as its economic recovery beckons those fleeing emerging markets.

UK unemployment rate falls to 7.1%

The Bank of England sent a clear message that it has no immediate plans to raise interest rates, despite a shock fall in the unemployment rate close to the level at which the Bank said it would consider a hike.

Japan’s Biggest Banks See Profit Declining in Second Half

Japan’s three biggest banks reported a surge in first-half profits this week that they said means the year will turn out better than expected.

South Korea September output hit by auto strikes; recovery seen intact

SEOUL: South Korea's industrial production unexpectedly fell the most in six months in September as strikes hit major car makers, but sidestepping that blip, analysts see a quick return to upbeat indicators when Friday's export data is published.

Public borrowing figures show George Osborne on track to meet target

Chancellor George Osborne is on track to meet his budget goal for this year, economists said on Tuesday after the latest public finance figures suggested a quickening economic recovery was boosting government coffers.

Activist Investors Backed by Large Funds Take on Big Targets

The world’s biggest fund managers are giving shareholder activists the muscle to take on larger companies from Dell Inc. (DELL) to Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)

U.S. banks face profit lull as mortgage boom fizzles

Unexpectedly large quarterly profits at JPMorgan Chase & Co and Wells Fargo & Co hide a more worrisome forecast for the rest of the year for many U.S. banks. Things could get worse before they get any better.

UK economy 'buoyant' as services sector grows at fastest rate in two years

Hopes of an economic recovery are growing as the UK's dominant services sector expanded at its fastest rate in more than two years, according to monthly data.

India considers easing rules for sovereign wealth funds to stem rupee fall

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The finance ministry, the RBI and market regulators on Monday discussed loosening rules for investment by foreign sovereign wealth funds in response to a sharply falling rupee and a wide current account deficit that are hurting the economy.

Stock investors look past pricey Germany for Europe growth

LONDON: Smaller northern European stock markets are luring investors keen to escape fresh political and debt market risk in the south but loath to pay for entry into traditional safe-haven Germany.

Canada funds bet emerging markets can lift "funk"

TORONTO (Reuters) - With only tepid growth expected in North America and Western Europe in 2013, Canadian asset managers say the best opportunity for growth comes from emerging markets, where a burgeoning middle class is hungry for consumer goods and improved infrastructure.

Stock market is a wild card in fiscal cliff talks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress and the White House can significantly soften the initial impact of the "fiscal cliff" even if they fail to reach a compromise by Dec. 31.