FT.com - UK Equities...FTSE falls to 5½-year low...DSG ended a difficult week on a positive note following a U-turn from analysts and an upgraded recommendation from 'underperform' to 'outperform'...Retailers to ramp up price cutting...Marks and Spencer's "guerrilla" sale caught the competition on the hop and sparked copy-cat discounting across the high street as retailers scramble to step up price cutting in the run-up to Christmas ...Lager out as Britons warm to beer...Beer sales in pubs may be in steep decline but dark ale, long seen as the dowdy English beer compared with its flashier continental cousins, is on the rise...Fuller's bucks trend as ale sales prevail...Fuller, Smith & Turner, the brewer and pub operator, bucked the industry trend by maintaining sales growth over the past two months in spite of the sharp deterioration in consumer confidence...Off-target Aim...Despite its current malaise, London's junior market has a vital part to play, and should still be there to play it when the economic recovery comes...Fear of severe downturn grips world markets ...Fears of a severe recession gripped financial markets as dire unemployment figures from the US drove long-term interest rates down to record lows...Fear stalks the world's economies...Anxiety about a severe recession gripped financial markets as dire unemployment figures from the US drove long-term interest rates to record lows...High street spending defies forecasts...The volume of UK sales in the three months to October was flat, a much better outcome than expected and in contradiction to gloomy industry surveys, as retailers are forced into discounts to entice shoppers...Aim loses its shine as new listings dry up...The boom times have come to an abrupt halt for Aim, London's lightly regulated share market for smaller companies as new fundraisings dry up...L&G supports Barclays issue through gritted teeth...Legal & General Investment Management has backed away from its threat to vote against Barclays' move to raise £7bn in fresh capital, much of it from Middle Eastern investors...RBS bosses apologise to investors...A profuse and candid apology to angry investors in Royal Bank of Scotland for its troubles was delivered by its chairman and outgoing chief executive ...Hedge fund investors pull out record $40bn...Hedge fund investors pulled a record $40bn out of the industry in October as poor performance prompted a flight to cash, according to data on Thursday...Halfords warns of fall in trading...Car maintenance and bike seller says sales have slowed since the end of September as it seeks to sell more high margin products...DMGT seeks to save £100m from cost cuts...Owner of the Daily Mail and a range of regional titles including the Evening Standard reveals plans to save £100m as it reports falling profits...IG Group plunges on doubtful debt fears...Shares in the financial markets betting company fall more than 27% after it warned it would suffer a huge jump in doubtful debts in spite of benefiting from recent extreme volatility...

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BBC Money News

Repossession of homes up by 12% Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:10:46 GMT The number of properties repossessed by mortgage lenders rose by 12% to 11,300 in the third quarter of the year.
Property sales rise in October Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:56:23 GMT Property sales rose by 8% in October, according to the latest figures from HM Revenue & Customs.
Catalogue sales face PPI checks Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:56:46 GMT The sale of payment protection insurance alongside goods sold in catalogues should be restricted, says the Competition Commission.
Revenue in new offshore tax trawl Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:05:09 GMT Offshore tax dodgers will be facing a second round of investigations by HM Revenue & Customs next year.
Retail sales bring scant comfort Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:12:50 GMT Sales on the UK's High Streets fell by a lower-than-expected 0.1% in October, Office for National Statistics figures show.
House sales rise as prices fall Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:49:24 GMT Property sales rose slightly in October, for the second month in a row, the National Association of Estate Agents says.
October mortgage lending picks up Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:45:10 GMT Mortgage lending rose by nearly 7% between September and October, figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show.
Premium Bond prize fund is cut Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:00:30 GMT The number of Premium Bond prizes is being reduced following the recent cut in the Bank rate to 3%.
Bank hints at further rate cuts Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:38:45 GMT Expectations of another rate cut rise after the release of minutes from the Bank of England meeting which slashed rates to 3%.
Consumer inflation falls to 4.5% Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:12:18 GMT Official figures show that UK inflation fell from 5.2% to 4.5% in October, as oil prices and transport costs fell.
Rock arrears due to 125% loans Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:22:39 GMT Arrears on controversial home loans of up to 125% of the value of a property are driving Northern Rock's repossession rate.
Fraudulent broker banned Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:57:31 GMT A mortgage broker who tried to defraud insurance firms of more than £250,000 has been banned by the Financial Services Authority.
Glut of unsold homes hits rents Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:02:17 GMT A glut of unsold homes has flooded the home rental market, driving down rents at the fastest rate on record, surveyors say.
Pension access 'may help savings' Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:25:14 GMT Early access to pensions in times of need would increase the number of people saving for their retirement, a report says.
Problems looming for buy-to-let Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:41:57 GMT Some 20% to 40% of buy-to-let landlords will be in negative equity if house prices keep falling at current rates, a report says.
'Close to 3m UK jobless' by 2010 Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:42:53 GMT The CBI says the UK economy will shrink by 1.7% in 2009, with unemployment rising to nearly 3 million by 2010.
London 'worst hit in recession' Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:04:58 GMT London could be set to bear the brunt of the economic downturn while other cities weather the storm, a report says.
Concern over festive prawn prices Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:42:02 GMT The credit crunch is being blamed for affecting prawn prices ahead of the festive season, normally a good time for sales.
Warning as pension payments fall Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:30:30 GMT One in five people are planning to stop or reduce pension contributions to help cope with the economic downturn, a new survey suggests.
Energy firms 'profit from poor' Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:05:35 GMT Energy suppliers are being accused of making some of their biggest profits from their poorest customers.
Low-deposit mortgages end Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:17:14 GMT The number of mortgage deals available for people offering a 10% deposit has slowed to a trickle, figures show.
Gender pay gap 'still widening' Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:31:17 GMT Government figures show the pay gap between men and women is still widening despite equal pay legislation.
Post Office told to stamp out Britain's 'waiting culture' Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:18:02 GMT A watchdog calls on the Post Office to stamp out lengthy queues for customers and says too many businesses assume customers are happy to queue.
Present worries? Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:38:44 GMT Concerns raised over the safety of Christmas gifts
Hugh Pym Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:05:21 GMT Why deflation, not inflation, is the new economic danger
Into the red Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:25:19 GMT Fine wine prices fall as economic woes hit the super rich
Property in 2009 Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:25:42 GMT Will prices keep falling after 2008's record drop?
Property turmoil Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:01:24 GMT How buy-to-let turned into buy-to-debt
Sterling's woes Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:25:45 GMT Has the pound's fall put paid to cheap holidays?

Repossession of homes up by 12%
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:10:46 GMT
The number of properties repossessed by mortgage lenders rose by 12% to 11,300 in the third quarter of the year.

Property sales rise in October
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:56:23 GMT
Property sales rose by 8% in October, according to the latest figures from HM Revenue & Customs.

Catalogue sales face PPI checks
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:56:46 GMT
The sale of payment protection insurance alongside goods sold in catalogues should be restricted, says the Competition Commission.

Revenue in new offshore tax trawl
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:05:09 GMT
Offshore tax dodgers will be facing a second round of investigations by HM Revenue & Customs next year.

Retail sales bring scant comfort
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:12:50 GMT
Sales on the UK's High Streets fell by a lower-than-expected 0.1% in October, Office for National Statistics figures show.

House sales rise as prices fall
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:49:24 GMT
Property sales rose slightly in October, for the second month in a row, the National Association of Estate Agents says.

October mortgage lending picks up
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:45:10 GMT
Mortgage lending rose by nearly 7% between September and October, figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show.

Premium Bond prize fund is cut
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:00:30 GMT
The number of Premium Bond prizes is being reduced following the recent cut in the Bank rate to 3%.

Bank hints at further rate cuts
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:38:45 GMT
Expectations of another rate cut rise after the release of minutes from the Bank of England meeting which slashed rates to 3%.

Consumer inflation falls to 4.5%
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:12:18 GMT
Official figures show that UK inflation fell from 5.2% to 4.5% in October, as oil prices and transport costs fell.

Rock arrears due to 125% loans
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:22:39 GMT
Arrears on controversial home loans of up to 125% of the value of a property are driving Northern Rock's repossession rate.

Fraudulent broker banned
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:57:31 GMT
A mortgage broker who tried to defraud insurance firms of more than £250,000 has been banned by the Financial Services Authority.

Glut of unsold homes hits rents
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:02:17 GMT
A glut of unsold homes has flooded the home rental market, driving down rents at the fastest rate on record, surveyors say.

Pension access 'may help savings'
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:25:14 GMT
Early access to pensions in times of need would increase the number of people saving for their retirement, a report says.

Problems looming for buy-to-let
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:41:57 GMT
Some 20% to 40% of buy-to-let landlords will be in negative equity if house prices keep falling at current rates, a report says.

'Close to 3m UK jobless' by 2010
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:42:53 GMT
The CBI says the UK economy will shrink by 1.7% in 2009, with unemployment rising to nearly 3 million by 2010.

London 'worst hit in recession'
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:04:58 GMT
London could be set to bear the brunt of the economic downturn while other cities weather the storm, a report says.

Concern over festive prawn prices
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:42:02 GMT
The credit crunch is being blamed for affecting prawn prices ahead of the festive season, normally a good time for sales.

Warning as pension payments fall
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:30:30 GMT
One in five people are planning to stop or reduce pension contributions to help cope with the economic downturn, a new survey suggests.

Energy firms 'profit from poor'
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:05:35 GMT
Energy suppliers are being accused of making some of their biggest profits from their poorest customers.

Low-deposit mortgages end
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:17:14 GMT
The number of mortgage deals available for people offering a 10% deposit has slowed to a trickle, figures show.

Gender pay gap 'still widening'
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:31:17 GMT
Government figures show the pay gap between men and women is still widening despite equal pay legislation.

Post Office told to stamp out Britain's 'waiting culture'
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:18:02 GMT
A watchdog calls on the Post Office to stamp out lengthy queues for customers and says too many businesses assume customers are happy to queue.

Present worries?
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:38:44 GMT
Concerns raised over the safety of Christmas gifts

Hugh Pym
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:05:21 GMT
Why deflation, not inflation, is the new economic danger

Into the red
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:25:19 GMT
Fine wine prices fall as economic woes hit the super rich

Property in 2009
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:25:42 GMT
Will prices keep falling after 2008's record drop?

Property turmoil
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:01:24 GMT
How buy-to-let turned into buy-to-debt

Sterling's woes
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:25:45 GMT
Has the pound's fall put paid to cheap holidays?

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