Got a TV Licence?

You need one to watch live TV on any channel or device, and BBC programmes on iPlayer. It’s the law.

Find out more
I don’t have a TV Licence.

Live Reporting

Ian Pollock

All times stated are UK

Get involved

  1. Good night

    That's all from Business Live today - thanks for reading. We're back at 0600 on Tuesday so do join us then.

  2. How good is a cheap smartphone?

    A taxi driver uses a Baidu mapping app on a Xiaomi mobile phone to navigate in traffic in Beijing on August 3, 2015

    What a good question. And our technology reporter Zoe Kleinman answers it here.

  3. Wall Street slides

    US markets fell on Monday as energy companies slide along with the price of crude oil. Oil fell to the lowest level since March as traders worried about signs of weak demand and increasing supplies. Chevron and Exxon Mobil were among the biggest decliners in the Dow Jones industrial average, which sank 0.5% to 17,598. The S&P 500 fell 0.3% to 2,098 points, with the Nasdaq down a similar amount to 5,115 points.

  4. Libor 'won't be the last scandal'

    BBC News Channel

    David Enrich, WSJ

    David Enrich, European banking editor of the Wall Street Journal, says there is no reason to think that this verdict, and the 14-year sentence, would mean the end of this sort of scandal. "This is the first person to be convicted of Libor manipulation anywhere in the world," he said. "There are reams and reams of written and recorded evidence that shows that everyone in the banking industry either knew about, or in some cases were participating, in this, right up to Hayes' boss, his boss's boss, and his boss's boss's boss."

  5. Obama limits power plant carbon emissions

    Obama

    Barack Obama said climate change is the toughest and most pressing challenge of our time as he announced the first limits on US power plant emissions. "No challenge poses a greater threat to our future and future generations than a change in climate," the US president said on Monday. "There is such a thing as being too late." He said that power plant owners must cut carbon dioxide emissions by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030. Power plants account for 40% of US emissions of carbon dioxide.

  6. Athens stock market slumps

    World Service

    After being closed for five weeks, the Athens stock market re-opened on Monday and had slumped in value by 16% by the end of the day. Unsurprisingly, shares in the big Greek banks did even worse. Local investors are not allowed to buy shares with money from their bank accounts, only with cash kept in safe deposit boxes or at home.

    This is how one of the BBC' foreign correspondents, James Reynolds, reported the day on the BBC World Service.

    "Shortly after the market re-opened, the ticker at the Athens stock exchange listed shares in a single unchanging colour: red. Shares ticked by with double-digit losses. Some even hit the maximum daily loss of 30%. Banking shares fared worst of all. It was the market's worst daily performance since records began thirty years ago - as many here predicted at the start of the day."

    "The rest of Europe watched the day's fall - but its main markets were largely unaffected. That may be because Greece and its creditors have - at least in principle - already worked out the way ahead. In July the two sides agreed to a third bailout. Here in Athens Greece and its creditors are now quietly discussing its technical details."

  7. Obtaining financial advice

    Patrick Connolly, of independent financial advisers Chase de Vere, has this to say about the Treasury's review of financial advice, announced earlier today.

    "The problem today is that many people cannot afford to pay for independent financial advice," he said. "While impartial organisations such as the Money Advice Service and Pension Wise provide valuable information, their services are quite limited and so instead many people end up taking "guidance" from organisations which are primarily concerned with selling products to them".

  8. Libor trial

    BBC News Channel

    James Bevan

    Commenting on the 14-year sentence for Tom Hayes for rigging Libor, James Bevan, a city investment manager, told viewers to the News Channel that it was a significant sentence for a substantial crime.

    "I think the problem is, it was not necessarily perceived as a crime by many, precisely because it was pervasive and perhaps overlooked by the people who were running the banks, non of whom are being called to book," he said.

  9. Rolls-Royce shares rise again

    Rolls-Royce

    Shares in Rolls-Royce rose again on Monday on speculation it could speed up turnaround plans after US fund ValueAct, an activist investor, became its biggest shareholder with a 5.44% stake. The stock rose 4.5% to 829.9p. "We have engaged in constructive discussions with ValueAct over recent days and welcome them as an investor who recognises the long-term value of our business," a Rolls-Royce spokesman said.

  10. S&P downgrades EU to 'negative'

    Standard & Poor's - one of the big three rating agencies - has cut its outlook on the European Union from 'stable' to 'negative'. "The EU's repeated use of its balance sheet to provide higher-risk financing to EU member states (most recently including Greece), without the member states' paying in capital," was cited by S&P as a factor for its decision.

  11. Twitter shares on the slide

    Twitter

    Shares in Twitter are down more than 6% in New York at $29.11. That brings the slide to more than a third in the past 12 months and the stock is trading at nearly 30% below analysts' average price target. Twitter shares have been falling despite the company posting better-than-expected numbers last week: it seems investors are spooked by the difficulty it is having attracting new users.

  12. More on Vedanta

    World Service

    The lawyer Oliver Holland, from Leigh Day, has been telling business correspondent Russell Padmore that nearly 2,000 farmers in Zambia are seeking compensation from Vedanta Resources over claims of pollution from copper mining. He says it has caused "a drastic reduction in farm incomes". Vedanta says it will look into the claims, but legal action over its Konkola Copper operation in Zambia is not necessary.

  13. Libor trial

    The head of the Serious Fraud Office talks to the BBC

    BBC Radio 4

    David Green added in his PM interview: "The SFO was right to open an investigation into Libor in 2012 and have these trials here in London."

    "We've got 11 other people awaiting their trial in relation to Libor and one senior banker has already pleaded guilty," he said.

  14. Libor trial

    The head of the Serious Fraud Office talks to the BBC

    BBC Radio 4

    David Green

    David Green, the director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), spoke to Eddie Mair on the PM programme on Radio 4. "This verdict means the jury were sure he [Hayes] was guilty," he said.

  15. RBS sale

    The sale of the government's 79% stake in RBS will start with the sale of 5.2% of the shares.

    UK Financial Investments said in a stock market announcement: "The placing is expected to comprise of approximately 600m of the company's ordinary shares, representing approximately 5.2% of the economic ownership of the company."

    "As a result of the placing, the overall size of HM Treasury's economic interest in the capital of the company (which includes its holding of ordinary shares and B shares in the company) will be reduced from approximately 78.3% to approximately 73.2% and its holding of ordinary shares in the company will be reduced from approximately 61.3% to approximately 52.0%."

  16. Via Email

    Libor trial - more expert comment

    Prof Andre Spicer

    Cass business school

    It shows traders were primarily hired for their technical skills and results orientation. This often meant they were bereft of the ability to make ethical judgements.

    It also shows that traders were certainly aware that they were doing wrong. Hayes himself pointed out that he did not think he was 'going to get a medal from the regulator', but he also did not think he 'was a Bernie Madoff'.

  17. RBS sale to start

    RBS sign

    The government has fired the starting gun on the sale of its large controlling stake in the banking group RBS.

    A Treasury spokesperson said: "UK Financial Investments (UKFI) today (3 August 2015) advised the chancellor it would be appropriate to conduct the first sale of the government's shareholding in the Royal Bank of Scotland. The chancellor agrees with that advice and has authorised the process to begin."

  18. Libor trial - the judge explains that 14-year sentence

    This is what Mr Justice Cooke had to say about Hayes' dishonesty.

    "The conduct involved is to marked out as dishonest and wrong. And a message to the world of banking accordingly," he said.

    "The reputation of Libor is important to the City as a financial centre and the banking institutions of the city. Probity and honesty are essential, as is trust. The Libor actions in which you played a leading part put all that in jeopardy," the judge added.

  19. Libor: What is it and why does it matter?

    This article explains why rigging Libor has been such a big scandal.

  20. Via Email

    Libor trial - expert comment

    Mark Taylor

    Professor of Finance and Dean of Warwick Business School

    "It has been disturbing to see that despite the billions of pounds in fines paid over recent scandals that no senior manager has faced criminal proceedings."

    "Unethical behaviour has been left unchecked in the City for too long and this is hopefully the start of that being reversed and London's reputation being restored."

  21. Libor trial - from the court

    Former trader Tom Hayes and his wife Sarah leave Southwark Crown Court in London, Britain July 29, 2015

    More observations from our reporter, Mark Broad: "Mr Justice Cooke said Hayes was the 'centre and hub' of the manipulation. Mr Hayes sat throughout sentencing with his head in his hands in the dock. The judge said: 'You succumbed to temptation because you could... to gain status seniority and remuneration'. He said Hayes' actions were 'dishonest and wrong'. There was 'sophistication' in his attempts to influence other traders and brokers. The number of victims was not clear. The judge said he could see little in the way of mitigation."

  22. Libor trial - from the court

    Some observations from our reporter at Southwark Crown Court, Mark Broad. "Mr Hayes held his head in his hands while his lawyer read out a list of mitigating factors. Neil Hawes QC for the defence told the judge that the prevalence of Libor manipulation at the time ought to be taken into account when sentencing Mr Hayes. He also said Mr Hayes' diagnosis for aspergers syndrome should be taken into account. Mr Hawes also pointed out that managers and senior managers at Mr Hayes' bank knew and in some cases condoned Libor manipulation."

  23. Athens stock market

    An employee of the Athens" Stock Exchange speaks on the phone in the reception hall in Athens, Greece, Monday, Aug. 3, 2015

    After opening for the first time in five week, the Athens stock market has closed with a drop on the day of 16%.

  24. Libor trial sentence

    Tom Hayes has been sent to jail for 14 years for rigging Libor interest rates.

  25. Libor trial - more Citibank comment

    How to elaborate on "no comment".

    Citibank says: "Tom Hayes was terminated [sacked, in plain English] in September 2010 following an incident that was reported to [our] compliance [department]. Citi also reported the matter to the appropriate regulators at the time."

  26. Libor trial

    A view of the exterior of the Citibank Corporate headquarters in the Manhattan borough of New York City, May 20, 2015.

    And what does another of Hayes' former employers, Citibank, have to say? "No comment". Is that what PR people are employed to do? Have they not had enough time to think about this issue? Classic.

  27. Libor trial

    The full Libor trial story (so far) is here.

  28. Libor trial - UBS comment

    A man walks past a logo of Swiss bank UBS in Zurich July 27, 2015

    The giant Swiss bank UBS was one of Hayes' former employers. Today it said: "It [the trial] was a matter between the SFO (Britain's Serious Fraud Office) and Mr Hayes and UBS has no comment. The bank has resolved this legacy matter with most authorities."

  29. Via Email

    Some interesting Libor trial opinion

    David Corker, Corker Binning solicitors.

    "One of the most difficult decisions a defence lawyer has to make in a fraud case is whether or not to put the client on the stand, particularly in those instances when clients are articulate and eager to speak to the court."

    "In this case, Hayes' pivotal decision to testify has proven disastrous, as he was skilfully and thoroughly cross-examined by Mukul Chawla QC regarding the 86 hours of interviews Hayes had with the SFO during the investigation."

    "The defences' contention that Hayes would have said anything in order to have the charges brought against him in the UK rather than the US lost their force once Hayes was asked to explain each admission. In this case, it would have been better for Hayes to have remained silent."

  30. Via Twitter

    Libor trial

    Justin Urquhart Stewart, Seven Investment Management

    tweet: if LIBOR trader guilty then Bank directors & line management liable as well. Their ignorance should be no defence

  31. Libor trial

    In the wake of the Libor rigging scandal, which first came to light in 2012, banks and broking firms around the world have paid £5.8bn ($9bn) in settlements with regulators.

  32. Another arrest in Petrobras scandal

    Petrobras sign

    Police in Brazil have arrested former government minister Jose Dirceu. He is the most senior member of the country's ruling party yet to be caught up in a huge investigation into alleged corruption at state-run oil company Petrobras. Mr Dirceu was already under house detention. The investigation, started in March 2014, has ensnared some of Brazil's most senior executives and caused Petrobras to write off more than $2bn in losses related to the case.

  33. Libor trial

    Tom Hayes has been found guilty on all eight charges of conspiracy to defraud. We will find out in 30 minutes if he will be sentenced today. Each count carries a possible 10-year sentence.

  34. Libor trial

    This is a judgement in one of the eight charges that Hayes faced.

  35. Libor trial

    Tom Hayes

    The former city trader Tom Hayes has been found guilty of conspiracy to defraud by rigging Libor at Southwark Crown Court, in a case brought by the Serious Fraud Office.

  36. Obtaining financial advice

    Piggy bank

    How to help more people find useful financial advice is going to be looked at by the government. The Treasury has announced a review of this problematic topic, with the conclusions feeding into next year's Budget. The big problem is that advice is usually expensive and, to all intents and purposes, the preserve of the well-heeled, despite initiatives such as the Money Advice Service and Pension Wise.

  37. Pizza Express in trouble on tips

    Pizza Express Richmond, London 2003

    The boss of Pizza Express is facing calls to review a policy, of charging an 8% admin fee to any tips paid to waiting staff by credit card. Unite, the union, is planning a series of protests outside several of Pizza Express's 430 restaurants over the coming weeks. It has produced a letter addressed to the company chief executive, Richard Hodgson, from a member of staff who disguised her identity, complaining that the fee costs her £3 a night.

  38. Vedanta faces legal action

    KCM website

    Vedanta has released a statement today regarding the legal action, in which it says it has "not been served with the proceedings and is therefore unable to comment on the content of those proceedings". The company continues that it has received a letter from Leigh Day making certain allegations about the mining activities of KCM (owned by Vedanta) in Zambia.

    "We are committed to fully investigating the matters alleged and we have sought further essential information from Leigh Day and their clients that will enable us to do so," said Vedanta. "Once we have completed that investigation, we will provide Leigh Day with a full response to their letter. Until we have done that, any court proceedings are premature and unnecessary", the company adds.

  39. US consumer spending weakens

    US consumer spending in June recorded its smallest gain in four months, as the recent strong growth in car sales weakened. That suggests the economy lost some momentum at the end of the second quarter. The Commerce Department said that consumer spending rose 0.2%, after a revised 0.7% increase in May. Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of US economic activity, was previously reported to have advanced 0.9% in May.

  40. UK miner Vedanta faces legal action

    UK miner Vedanta Resources is reported to be facing legal action in London's High Court after a group of Zambian villagers said their water source and farmland had been polluted by the firm's copper mining operations. Vedanta, which owns 79.4% of Zambia's Konkola Copper Mines, was named by legal firm Leigh Day in a statement announcing the legal action. Leigh Day says it initiated proceedings at the court on Friday on behalf of 1,800 clients from four farming communities.

  41. Tyson Foods warns on profits

    Tyson Foods

    Tyson Foods, the largest meat processor in the US, has issued a profit warning for the year to the end of September citing export disruptions in its beef business and high cattle costs. The company had forecast full-year profit of $3.30-$3.40 per share. For the third quarter, Tyson reported a 4% rise in sales to $10.07bn, helped by higher sales of chicken and prepared foods. Net income attributable to the company rose to $343m, or 83 cents per share in the quarter ended June 27, from $260m, or 73 cents per share, a year earlier.

  42. Banks not out of Greece yet

    Reuters European banking correspondent tweets

  43. RBS beauty parade

    Pedestrians are reflected in the glass of an advertising board as they walk past a branch of The Royal Bank of Scotland

    In case you're waiting on tenterhooks for an imminent Royal Bank of Scotland shares sale announcement, it's thought likely that we won't get one until after the London Stock Exchange closes today. That's assuming the government's advisers have found anyone willing to buy the shares off the government of course. The banks are thought to be sounding out potential advisers across the City. There is, however, little, if any, guarantee there will be an appetite for the stock at their current price.

  44. HSBC sells Brazil banking arm

    BBC South America Business Correspondent Daniel Gallas says Brazil's banks are having a good year.

    Brazil bank notes
    Quote Message: Bradesco, which is buying HSBC's banking arm, is closing the gap between itself and Itau Unibanco and state-owned banks Caixa Economica and Banco do Brasil. Brazil's banking market is dominated by national players. HSBC was the biggest outsider, but it couldn't compete with locals. They never gained the scale necessary. Despite Brazil's economy slowing down, banks are having a strong year. They keep on posting profits even though the whole of the economy is expected to contract by at least 1.5% this year. Interest rates are at 14.25% - the highest in nine years.
  45. Varoufakis: Spain could be next Greece

    Greece"s maverick finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, who announced his surprise resignation leaves the Ministry of Finance with his wife Danai on the back of a motorbike

    Everyone's favourite former finance minister (well, OK, not everyone's but he rides a motorbike, refuses to wear a tie: he's essentially the James Dean of the finance world) Yanis Varoufakis gave an interview to Spanish newspaper El Pais over the weekend in which he ominously warned Spain the "danger of becoming Greece is always there" if the same mistakes are made. He also spent the weekend saying a third EU bailout for Greece is doomed to fail and he once again repeated his accusation that German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble wants to impose austerity on the entire eurozone.

  46. Greek economic sentiment at three year low

    A Greek flag is pictured outside the Athens Stock Exchang

    And back to Greece. A monthly survey of business and consumer confidence, the Economic Sentiment Indicator, has fallen for a fifth month and to its worst level since October 2012. The Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research, which conducts the monthly survey, said July saw a "sharp deterioration in business expectations in all areas, but also a recent and significant decline in consumer confidence."

  47. Government to review free financial advice

    Banks and investment firms could have to offer more financial advice for customers who are not rich enough to hire traditional financial advisors, as the result a Treasury review to be launched this Autumn. The review will consider all types of retail financial products including pensions, savings, mortgages, and insurance. It will publish its findings before next year's Budget. It comes after the change in pension rules, which came into effect in April.

  48. Every cloud... silver lining

    Quote Message: The uncertain solvency of Greek banks had investors moving hand over fist to dump the shares as quickly as possible before the Athens Stock Exchange’s maximum loss for an individual issue was reached and trading halted. Fortune favours the brave so there may be some investors bottom-fishing in select Greek stocks, perhaps in safe-havens like utilities or exporters who could benefit from a weak euro. from Jasper Lawler CMC Markets
    Jasper LawlerCMC Markets
  49. Greek shares fall

    Greek flag

    With Greek share prices falling after the resumption of trading on Monday, the head of the Greek Capital Markets Commission, Constantine Botopoulos, tells the BBC it's too early to see where share prices will settle. "We must wait: first of all until the closure of today's session and I would say some more days for the beginning of a normal procedure to set in. It's too early to say what will happen. We need hours and days in order to see more clearly what the picture will be," he says.

  50. Commerzbank turnaround continues

    Commerzbank logo

    Commerzbank has come a long way since it was bailed out by the German state in 2009. The country's second biggest bank has seen second-quarter profits almost triple, pushed up by higher revenue and a lower tax bill. From April-to-June the bank made a net profit of €280m, against €100m in the quarter last year. The government still owns 15% of the bank.

  51. Software boss renting out home 'to make ends meet'

    Dan Price

    Dan Price, a software entrepreneur who raised the wages of his staff three months ago to a minimum of $70,000 a year, has had to rent out his home "to make ends meet" he has revealed in an interview with the New York Times. Mr Price, who is the boss of credit card processing firm Gravity Payments, upped the wages of his 120 staff to reduce the wage gap. He cut his own $1m salary at the same time. But ironically, some staff haven't responded well to having their wages increased and instead have left the company in protest at the fact that new entrants are also entitled to the newly increased salary.

  52. Greek stocks plummet

    Reuters executive tweets:

    And this is what the 23% fall in shares on the Athens stock exchange looked like earlier this morning

  53. RSA shares tick up

    Insurer Royal and Sun Alliance group publishes earnings later this week. It's also the subject of a takeover bid from Swiss rival Zurich. That has seen the share price tick up this morning by about 1.36% to 521p. It is understood RSA chief executive Stephen Hester, former boss of RBS, wants to hold out for an improved offer from Zurich of 600p per share. Analysts expect the insurance group to report a half-year pre-tax profits of £235m later this week.

  54. Eurozone manufacturing still strong

    Eurozone factory activity grew faster than previously thought in July, despite the dismal performance of Greece's manufacturing sector. Output eased only slightly from June's 14-month record growth as rising prices kept new orders in check, according to Markit's Purchasing Managers' Index for the currency bloc. Greece's brush with bankruptcy led to the steepest downturn in 16-years. French factories also slipped back into contraction. But overall Markit's final eurozone PMI was 52.4, comfortably above the 50 level that separates growth from contraction.

  55. Greek manufacturing collapse

    Jamie McGeever, Reuters chief markets correspondent for Europe tweets:

    In case you were wondering just how bad the Greek manufacturing PMI data was earlier the below is a good illustrative example.

  56. Pace of UK manufacturing growth slows

    Steel at a site near Wolverhampton

    UK manufacturing growth picked up in July but new orders grew at the slowest pace in nearly a year, the latest Markit/CIPS manufacturing purchasing managers' index shows. The PMI in July rose to 51.9, up up from 51.4 in June. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion, but the 51.9 figure for last month was well below an average of 54.3 recorded since April 2013, when the UK was starting its recovery.

  57. Greece to return to normal by September

    A Greek national flag flutters next to a statue of ancient Greek goddess Athen

    The chairman of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Constantine Michalos, tells the BBC he expects share prices to remain low today, but said that along with a new loan package, the reopening would help bring stability to the Greek economy. "It's a start, and... it's better late than never. We are expecting a negative mood throughout the day, but I think that with goodwill and with the government proceeding as quickly as possible to the signing of the main loan agreement with the EU partners and lenders, that slowly towards the end of the month, the beginning of September, we will be returning to back to normality as far as the real economy is concerned," he says.

  58. Greek manufacturing output falls to record low

    Athens protesters

    This probably isn't going to help Greek stocks much. Greece's manufacturing activity in July plunged to its lowest level since records began 16 years ago. New orders dived and manufacturers reported serious supply problems caused by the three-week bank shutdown. Markit's purchasing managers' index for the manufacturing sector, which makes up about 10% of the economy, fell to 30.2 points last month, well below 50 mark that denotes growth.

  59. Greek banks stop trading?

    Has trading in Greek bank stocks been suspended? There is a suggestion that it has. All the major banks have fallen by 30% hitting their daily volatility limit suggesting they will have to cease share dealing. There's nothing official yet, but shares in the main banks haven't traded for about five minutes now, according to Bloomberg.

  60. Greek banks lose third of value

    Greek bank shares are taking a beating on the Athens stock exchange this morning. Aside from Piraeus plunging 30%, shares in National Bank are down 30%, Alpha Bank shares are down 29.8% and shares in Eurobank are down 29.8%.

  61. Aston Martin: It's 'make or break'

    Business Live

    Aston Martin's Andy Palmer

    Aston Martin boss Andy Palmer has been talking to the BBC's Emma Simpson for the Business Live programme. He's frank about the challenges and importance of a restructuring plan he's putting in place. "Aston Martin, in its 102 history, has only been profitable twice. No one has really made any money. It really is make or break time," he says.

  62. Athens market re-opens

    Business Live

    Holly Cook

    No one should be surprised that the Athens stock market has plunged, Holly Cook, editor of investment website Morningstar, tells the BBC's Business Live programme. Banks, she says, make up about 25% of the market and their shares were always going to be big casualties now that trading has resumed after being closed for five weeks.

  63. BreakingBreaking News

    Greek stock exchange falls more than 20%

    The Greek stock exchange has opened 22.87% lower to 615.12 points. That's its biggest move lower on record. Greek bank stocks are plummeting, with Piraeus bank down more than 30% already.

  64. Stock market update

    Trader in London (file photo)

    Shares in London and across Europe are nervously awaiting the open of the Greek stock exchange for the first time in five weeks at 08:30. Perhaps that explains why it's a mixed picture among the three largest markets. London's FTSE 100 is down by about 0.10%, Germany's Dax is unchanged and France's Cac-40 is up slightly - 0.07%. HSBC is among the top gainers on the FTSE 100 so far, up 1.33% to 587.40p after unveiling its latest profit figures.

  65. Shanghai shares fall again

    Shanghai stock board

    Shanghai shares closed down 1.1%, but eased back from earlier larger falls. The Shanghai Composite Index ended at 3,622.99 points after a survey showed weak factory activity. The index suffered its worst monthly loss in six years in July.

  66. Government sells more Lloyds shares

    In December 2014, the government's shareholding in Lloyds Banking Group was 24.9%. The latest share sale takes that holding down to 13.99% which means an 11% drop in the government's stake in the bank in five and a half months. So far £13.5bn has been returned to the taxpayer according to Lloyds. So not quite as much as suggested by the phrase "almost £14bn" that came from the Treasury press release. The government originally owned 43% of Lloyds at the height of the financial crisis.

  67. Intertek profits up 16%

    Intertek group, the world's largest tester of consumer goods, has reported a 16% rise in pre-tax profits for the six months to the end of June to £139.1m from £119.8m a year earlier. André Lacroix, who joined the company as chief executive in May, said Intertek was on track to deliver on its full year targets.

  68. Coming up on Business Live

    BBC Business Live presenter tweeets

  69. Markets and homeowners braced for "Super Thursday"

    The Bank of England

    Thursday is going to be a busy day for the Bank of England, according to the Guardian. It says some are already calling it "Super Thursday" - which seems a little grand to us. Why? Well, the Bank will, for the first time, announce its latest interest rate policy decision, publish the minutes of the meeting that led to that decision and give an update on how well, or otherwise, it thinks the UK economy is performing via its quarterly inflation bulletin. All on the same day. It's likely that there will be some sign of dissent among the members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) over when to raise interest rates.

  70. Carmakers buy Nokia's HERE

    MAp

    A consortium of German carmakers, Audi, BMW and Daimler, is buying Nokia's HERE map business to incorporate into automotive technology and eventually autonomous driving. Monday's announcement gave no price but previous news reports said it might be worth €2.9bn. Nokia is refocusing its business on producing equipment for wireless networks after selling its mobile phone handset operation to Microsoft. In a joint statement, the German carmakers said HERE is "laying the foundations for the next generation of mobility and location based services".

  71. Government sells more Lloyds shares

    a branch of Lloyds Bank

    The government has sold another 1% shareholding in Lloyds Banking Group, taking the total raised for the taxpayer to almost £14bn and reducing the government's shareholding to below 14%. All sales are being used to reduce the national debt.

  72. Shanghai market extends losses

  73. Trinity Mirror sees sharp fall in profits

    Mirror Group Newspapers

    Daily and Sunday Mirror owner, Trinity Mirror, has reported a sharp fall in pre-tax profits in the six months to the end of June to £12.1m from £50.5m a year earlier. The newspaper group said part of the fall in profits was reflected in the increase in provisions for compensation to victims of phone hacking at the Mirror. Trinity has set aside £16m so far for legal expenses and compensation. Underlying revenue at the group fell 8.7%, or £27.6m, to £288m from £316.1m in the period

  74. Heineken profits rise 81%

    A bottle of Heineken beer

    Heineken has reported an 81% rise in first half net-profit to €576m (£404m) compared with €316m a year earlier. The drinks maker said it expected a challenging external environment to remain for the rest of the year, but added that delivering on its strategic priorities would drive further organic revenue and profit growth.

  75. Athens effect

    BBC Radio 4

    branch

    With the Athens stock market set to re-open after several weeks, there's a lot of talk about the likely volatility and impact on other markets. On Today, Cato Stonex, fund manager at THS Partners, puts it into perspective, reminding listeners that the whole Athens market is only worth as much as Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). And with the government rumoured to be about to start selling off its stake in the bank, "RBS is a slightly more attractive investment proposition" than the Athens stock market, he says.

  76. RBS share sale

    Radio 5 live

    Pedestrians are reflected in the glass of an advertising board as they walk past a branch of The Royal Bank of Scotland

    Kathleen Brooks of Forex.com tells Wake Up to Money the start of the RBS share sale by the government "doesn't look like a good deal for the taxpayer" at the bank's current share price. Shares are currently trading at 341p. That compares with 511p five years ago, which was at least a little above the average share price the government paid to rescue the bank - 500p - in 2008 and 2009. At the current share price the government will make a pretty hefty loss on its investment. Ms Brooks points out that the government's argument for bailing out the bank in the first place was that it could make money on the shares when it eventually came to sell them.

  77. HSBC forex costs

    HSBC named reflected in window

    Some more detail from HSBC's half-year results. The bank has said it will set aside $1.3bn (£870m) to cover the costs of various probes into banks' rigging of foreign exchange markets worldwide. That's about double the sum ($550m) it had originally set aside .

  78. HSBC boosted by Asia trading

    BBC Radio 4

    HSBC

    HSBC gave no update in its latest profits announcement about whether it could relocate its HQ. Hong Kong is tipped as a likely new home, and the attraction of Asia was underlined in the figures, with profits boosted by operations there. Chief executive Stuart Gulliver said "strong revenue performance across our Asia businesses helped drive increased profits". On the Today programme, Chris Wheeler, banking analyst at Atlantic Equities, says there's now more than a 50% chance HSBC will leave the UK.

  79. Athens stock market re-opens

    Radio 5 live

    "Don't underestimate Greece's ability to rock markets." warns Kathleen Brooks on Wake Up to Money. That's as the Greek stock market is set to re-open today after closing for five weeks during the latest liquidity crisis that also led the country's banks to close for nearly three weeks and limits being set on bank account withdrawals. Most analysts expect a big sell off in Athens later.

  80. HSBC half year results

    Radio 5 live

    HSBC bank

    So how will markets react to HSBC's half year earnings unveiled earlier this morning. Kathleen Brooks of Forex.com tells Wake Up to Money that HSBC has "massively underperformed many of its peers... All this talk about moving to Asia isn't helping" either given the volatility of Asian markets at the moment, she says.

  81. HSBC: 'challenging' trading

    "The environment for banking remains challenging," says HSBC's group chairman Douglas Flint after announcing a 10% profits rise. But he adds that the bank still held a "privileged position" in global trade and investment. "We have the financial strength and the right people at all levels of the firm to make the most of the opportunities open to us," he says.

  82. HSBC profit figures

    HSBC

    As well as unveiling a 10% rise in pre-tax profits, HSBC also announced the sale of its Brazil unit to Banco Bradesco, the country's second-biggest private-sector bank, for about $5.2bn. The UK bank had previously said it wanted to shed underperforming businesses.

  83. Get in touch

    Matthew West

    Business Reporter

    As always do feel free to get in touch. Email us your views on businesslive@bbc.co.uk or tweet us @bbcbusiness.

  84. Good Morning

    Matthew West

    Business Reporter

    Morning folks. HSBC has reported half year earnings in the last hour. Pre-tax profits were up 10% to £8.7bn in the first six months of the year. We'll have more on that in a few minutes. Meanwhile, the Greek stock exchange re-opens after a five week suspension. And the government may be dipping its toe in the water to see if anyone is interested in its stake in Royal Bank of Scotland. There's plenty more to come, so stay with us.