Lloyds TSB to end bid speculation

Lloyds TSB plans to end talks about a possible takeover of German banks Dresdner or Postbank, it was reported last night.

Barratt home sales collapse by 43%

Barratt Developments yesterday reported a 43% drop in sales of private homes in the first half of the calendar year, but said it has renegotiated loan terms and a £400m credit line to help it cope with the worst housing slump in 15 years.

Bernanke calls for more market regulation

Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, told Congress yesterday that turbulence in financial markets continues unabated and said more regulatory powers are needed.

Aviva reaffirms offshoring agenda

Aviva, the UK’s biggest insurer, has realised £115m by selling its controversial Indian processing operations, but reaffirmed its commitment to offshoring.

F&C Asset crashes as big investor bales out

Shares in for-sale F&C Asset Management plunged 28.2% yesterday after a major investor ditched a fifth of the company’s shares.

Cisco names new head for Scotland

Cisco, one of the world’s biggest technology groups, yesterday announced the appointment of Donald McLaughlin to lead the company in Scotland.

	Bargain clothes chain holding its own in high street battle
	Value clothes chain Primark "remained robust", analysts said, as it held sales flat in the last quarter in the wake of a consumer slump, but shares in Sports Direct plummeted after it revealed profits had halved.

Weakening demand fails to hurt Experian

Credit checking firm Experian said yesterday it was not banking on any "short-term recovery" in the UK financial services sector.

FirstGroup celebrates ‘fantastic’ year

FirstGroup yesterday highlighted surging revenues in its UK bus and rail business in the first quarter of its new financial year

Bank holds interest rates again

Interest rates were kept on hold for the third month in a row today as the Bank of England continued its fight to keep inflation under control.

Passengers numbers fall at Scottish airports

Passenger numbers at Scottish airports fell last month, fuelled by a drop in charter flights, according to figures published today.

	M&S confound the prophets by backing Rose
	An anticipated rebellion against Sir Stuart Rose's promotion to executive chairman at Marks & Spencer failed to materialise on the scale predicted yesterday as his reappointment to the board received 77.9% shareholder backing.

Builders continue to lay off workers

Two of Britain’s biggest housebuilders, Bovis Homes and Redrow, said yesterday they were cutting 40% of their respective workforces.

Harden takes leave of underperforming Alliance Trust

Alan Harden, the chief executive of underperforming Alliance Trust, is to leave the Dundee-based investment trust later this year to head up ING Investment Management's Asia-Pacific unit.

Rose-tinted renaissance easily survives the hype

As he faced the anticipated wrath of his shareholders yesterday, M&S executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose reflected on what it felt like to be described as "the Robert Mugabe of retail". That astonishing comparison reflected the overblown hype that has recently dominated speculation over the outcome of yesterday's annual meeting in London's Royal Festival Hall.

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