Smash Hit

Business loans ‘in line with bank’s promise’

RBS promised, in February, to make an extra £16 billion of business lending available — both this year and in 2010

Biggest job cut announcements are over

Stephen Hester paid tribute to how RBS employees had maintained morale, but declined to reveal details of any new job losses

Banks must be regulated but let’s get back to basics

They can only be adequately regulated on an itemised and case-by-case basis and by the national central bank

Berkshire Hathaway turns $3.2bn profit

The profit was triple the $1.06 billion, or $682 per Class A equivalent share, reported by the company a year earlier

Is private equity brave enough?

The leveraged buyout almost disappeared in 2008 as the banks crumbled, but where are these bottom-fishers today?

We aim to put the taxpayer in profit, says Hester

Improvement in the bad debt position was an “important straw in the wind” that pointed to a recovery in RBS’s fortunes

AIG reports second quarterly profit

The insurer that survived the credit crunch thanks to a $121bn bailout, made a $455 million net profit in the third quarter

HSBC chief seeks level playing field for banks

Stephen Green has told the Chancellor not to try to impress G20 delegates by imposing tougher regulations in the UK

RBS losses hit £1.5bn as bad debts triple

State-owned lender, which received an extra £33.5bn in taxpayers' funds, reports £3.3bn in impairment charges

Fourteen more charged in Galleon case

At least 20 hedge fund managers, traders, executives and lawyers allegedly used illicit information to bring in millions

FSA condemns weak controls at UBS

Regulator fines bank £8m after four employees in London office made thousands of unauthorised trades with clients’ money

No time for half measures by the MPC

The Bank of England is pretty confident that its injection of huge amounts of new money into the economy is working

Treasury says Northern Rock may lose savers

The Treasury assumes that many savers will flee the bailed-out bank once the Government withdraws deposit guarantees

Private equity must face facts

Will DIC’s treatment at Doncasters engineering group be enough, or will it prove to be a bit of sticking plaster

Pensions safety net deficit doubles

The shortfall in company pension schemes run by the Pension Protection Fund more than doubled to £1.2bn last year

UBS fined £8 million by City watchdog

FSA imposes its third largest penalty after weak controls allowed private bank staff to make trades with clients' money

Aviva throws hat into the ring for ING assets

Insurer will consider bidding for some of the €22 billion in assets being auctioned by its Dutch subsidiary ING