Islamic bond market set to grow: experts

Dubai (AFP) - Investments in Islamic bonds known as "sukuk" are set to grow worldwide as financial centres vie to tap an increasing appetite for Muslim-friendly debt, experts and officials said Tuesday.

Ed Balls told to take clearer line on budget deficit

Shadow cabinet members are privately expressing concern that Ed Balls needs to adopt a more clearly defined position on the budget deficit after recent statements that have left many of them confused.

Ruble Weakens to Record on Concern Russia to Expedite Free Float

The ruble weakened to a record for the fifth day on concern Russia will quicken its move to a free float after more than $20 billion of currency interventions this month failed to halt the depreciation.

EU Stress Test Shows How Capital Rules Give Room to Hide

The European Union’s toughest-ever stress test was meant to leave banks with nowhere to hide. The results show how the bloc’s capital rules got in the way.

China's auto market growth may halve to 7 percent this year: industry body head

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Growth in China's auto market, the world's biggest, will halve to 7 percent this year weighed down by a slowing economy, the head of an industry body said on Saturday.

ECB may struggle to buy enough corporate bonds

(Reuters) - Any extension of the European Central Bank's asset-purchase scheme to include company debt risks running into a familiar problem - the ECB may not being able to buy enough of them to make a difference.

Cyprus GDP Upgrade Boosts Bailout Exit Plans

A European Union accounting change has improved Cyprus’s public-finance outlook more than any other euro-zone nation, raising the prospects it will exit a bailout program ahead of schedule and sell bonds this year.

ECB's Mersch says European economy not out of danger zone

(Reuters) - The European economy is not out of the danger zone, European Central Bank Executive Board member Yves Mersch said, calling for further financial integration to overcome remaining impediments to growth.

China overseas direct investment seen rising 10 percent a year

(Reuters) - China's overseas direct investment is projected to rise at least 10 percent annually for the next five years, a trend that will soon make the country a net capital exporter, a senior commerce ministry official said on Wednesday.

Swedbank Cuts Jobs as Low Interest Rates Hurt Profit Outlook

Swedbank AB (SWEDA), Sweden’s biggest mortgage lender and the largest bank in the Baltics, will cut as much as 5.5 percent of its staff to try to adjust to the low rate environment created by unprecedented central bank easing.

Russia Rating Cut by Moody’s on Sluggish Economic Growth

Russia’s ruble dropped and sovereign bonds were little changed after the country’s credit rating was cut to the second-lowest investment grade by Moody’s Investors Service amid sanctions over Ukraine.

EU ready to help Greece in 'whatever way necessary'

(BRUSSELS) - The EU will help twice-bailed out Greece "in whatever way necessary," the bloc's top economics official said Thursday, as stocks plunged across Europe on fears of a return of the eurozone debt crisis.

U.S. consumer sentiment rises despite Ebola fears

(Reuters) - While the appearance of the deadly Ebola virus in Texas is worrying the nation, it has yet to lead Americans to take a more cautious view over how to spend their money, data suggested on Friday.

Euro Economy’s Managers Aren’t Blinking in Market Rout

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Central Bank President Mario Draghi aren’t blinking yet. The longest losing streak in European stocks in 11 years and the weakest inflation since 2009 has intensified pressure on the managers of the euro area’s already ailing economy to deliver fresh stimulus programs.

Euro exchange rate should help growth pick up in 2015: ECB's Nowotny

(Reuters) - The euro's EUR= recent fall is bolstering the euro zone economy and this should show up in stronger growth next year, European Central Bank Governing Council member Ewald Nowotny said in a magazine interview.

Exclusive: Fed's Williams downplays global risks, eyes U.S. inflation

(Reuters) - A bellwether Federal Reserve policymaker on Tuesday downplayed concerns about weakness in the global economy, saying the U.S. central bank should only delay an interest rate hike next year if inflation or wages fail to perk up.

Biggest fall in UK shopping since 2008

The weakest underlying performance by high street and online stores since the depth of the 2008-09 recession provided fresh evidence on Tuesday of a slowdown in the economy.

China's September trade data beats expectations

China's exports and imports in September were far higher than expected, according to official data. Exports were 15.3% higher than last year, while imports rose 7%, giving a trade surplus of $31bn for the month.

ECB's Noyer says fears of EU recession did not arise at IMF meeting

(Reuters) - European Central Bank Governing Council member Christian Noyer said he did not hear anyone express fears that the European Union will fall into a recession at the International Monetary Fund's fall meeting.

Eurozone and China risks trouble Bank of England

A revival of the eurozone crisis and the resilience of the Chinese economy are regarded by policymakers at the Bank of England as significant risks to financial stability.

Concerns rise over US-EU trade talks

There are rising concerns in Europe over negotiations to liberalise trade with the United States. The project, the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP, aims to remove a wide range of barriers to bilateral commerce.

U.S. Fed frets over strong dollar, global woes: minutes

(Reuters) - Federal Reserve officials want to tie an interest-rate rise to U.S. economic progress, but the minutes of their last policy meeting show they are struggling with how to come to grips with the dual threats of a stronger dollar and a global slowdown.

China services sector growth weakens slightly in September: HSBC PMI

(Reuters) - Growth in China's services sector weakened slightly in September as new business cooled, a private survey showed on Wednesday, reinforcing signs of a slowdown in the world's second-largest economy that could prompt more stimulus measures.

IMF warns of 'weak and uneven' global recovery

The International Monetary Fund has cut its forecast for global economic growth for both this year and next and warned the recovery is "weak and uneven". It is now forecasting 3.3% growth this year, down from its forecast in July of 3.4%.

German Factory Orders Slump Most Since 2009: Economy

German factory orders (GRIORTMM) plunged the most since 2009, underlining the risk of a slowdown in Europe’s largest economy.

George Osborne faces backlash after branding charities ‘anti-business’

George Osborne has triggered a backlash from charities after he urged companies to defend the economy against their “anti-business views” and those of pressure groups and trade unions.

CANADA FX DEBT-C$ drops almost 1 pct, nears 2014 low

TORONTO, Oct 3 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar lost nearly 1 percent against the greenback on Friday, coming within a hair of touching its low for 2014 under pressure from disappointing domestic data and better-than-expected U.S. jobs growth.

Pound falls below $1.60 for first time since November on strong US data

Expectation-busting US data has hammered the pound, as it fell below the psychologically significant $1.60 level for the first time since November.

Banks boost equity, loan provisions in H1 ahead of ECB tests

(Reuters) - Attempts by the euro zone's 20 largest banks to anticipate the outcome of European Central Bank stress tests continued in earnest in the first half, as lenders boosted equity levels and set aside more money for bad loans.

UK manufacturing growth at 17-month low in September

The UK manufacturing sector grew at its slowest pace for 17 months in September as a result of the strong pound and eurozone weakness, a survey has said.

IMF urges greater infrastructure spending after 30-year decline

A decline in infrastructure spending over the last 30 years needs to be reversed to boost growth, according to the International Monetary Fund, which meets next week in Washington against a backdrop of slowing global growth.