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Recruiters gain from European transition
Employers are increasingly turning away from in-house processes

Electrical retailers agree warranty changes
Dixons, Comet and Argos have agreed to make minor changes to selling extended warranties to avoid a full-blown competition investigation

Glencore and Xstrata agree $90bn deal
Investment groups Standard Life and Schroders led a backlash against the proposed $90bn tie-up between Glencore and Xstrata

Resource suitors move apart on the FTSE 100
Xstrata shares fall and Glencore’s rise after confirmation of merger terms while the wider market is in stasis, waiting for clarity from Athens

TalkTalk boosted by customers spending more
Telecoms group saw a net loss of 60,000 customers but increased the average amount subscribers spent each month from £24.70 to £25.30

Turmoil in Europe and north Africa hits Tui Travel
Lower demand for holidays in north Africa and financial crisis in Europe push tour operator to a £131m loss in final three months of last year

BP raises dividend as progress returns
Oil group bullish ahead of a civil trial in New Orleans over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, claiming that ‘operational momentum’ returns

NAB to review struggling UK operations
The Australian lender is to shrink the size of its underperforming UK operations after concluding the UK faces a prolonged period of subdued economic growth

Firms flock to take up ‘Tesco Law’ status
The solicitors’ regulator says that almost 100 law firms and companies have applied to take advantage of a liberalised legal market in England and Wales

BAE considers cut to Typhoon price
UK defence group’s chief says it needed to talk to partners in Germany, Italy and Spain, but that all options were open

Corporate defaults set to jump in Europe
Though as a whole companies remain in relatively good shape, smaller groups look vulnerable to looming debt repayments

UK bankers and the matter of the public good
The government had better make sure it has in reserve another banker of Stephen Hester’s calibre

Balfour Beatty pay dispute set for High Court
Construction group seeks to prevent strike action that threatens to disrupt work at power stations, oil refineries and construction sites

Small and medium-sized companies in gloomy mood
Output stagnated and new orders fell in the three months to January, according to a survey by the CBI employers’ group

Glencore to pay premium for Xstrata deal
Investors in Xstrata would receive 2.8 Glencore shares for every share in the mining group they hold

Vodafone set to halt Greek unit merger
The UK telecoms business looks as if it will abandon attempts to amalgamate with rival Wind Hellas in the face of regulatory concerns

Tracker system to help navigate rules
Innovative technology developed by CNV Systems is helping commercial fishermen comply with the complex regulations that govern their activities

Niche spells success for UK manufacturers
The stars of the sector are likely to turn out esoteric measuring devices and instruments and have their headquarters in small country towns

Forget Fred and focus on the real banking scandal
Capitalism works – and works far better than any other system – because the discipline of the marketplace keeps greed, folly and incompetence in check, writes Nigel Lawson

RBS looks to defend SME lending record
The state-owned bank wants to stave off criticism over its failure to meet certain government-set targets on availability of credit for small business

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