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LONDON (AFX) - HBOS, The UK's fourth-biggest bank, has cut its pension deficit by half to 900 mln stg, The Sunday Times reported. The newspaper said the move comes after HBOS put 1.15 bln stg into the pension fund over the past two years, split between an extra payment of 800 mln and usual contributions of 350 mln stg. A strong performance in stock markets in the past two years has also boosted  ...

Ben Marlow, Mail on Sunday4 March 2007 Jupiter Asset Management, one of the country's biggest fund managers, is close to agreeing a buyout by senior executives backed by private equity house Candover. BONHAM-CARTER: In final stages of deal. WANT TO KNOW MORE? MORE: Investing in a falling market REPORT: What's next for China? OTHER STORIES Sky in new assault on Virgin Market report: Friday close Record profits for John Lewis Sainsbury's: 'Put up or shut up' Galla ...

Jon Rees and Simon Fluendy, Mail on Sunday4 March 2007 BSkyB is calling for the media watchdog, Ofcom, to force Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Media to open up its cable network to other broadcasters. TOP DRAW: Kiefer Sutherland in 24 on Sky. WANT TO KNOW MORE? MORE: Virgin and Sky face complaint BLOG: Virgin vs Sky - why does the customer lose out? COMMENT: Clash of the media titans OTHER STORIES Market report: Friday close Record profits for John Lewis Struggling ...

Lauren Mills, Mail on Sunday4 March 2007 Thousands of John Lewis employees are in line for bumper bonuses as profits at the department store and supermarket group break the £300m barrier for the first time. CASHBACK: Staff at buoyant John Lewis are set to reap an average of £2,000 in bonuses this year WANT TO KNOW MORE? MORE: John Lewis to create 35,000 jobs REPORT: John Lewis makes Street MD OTHER STORIES Struggling shares back in red Market report: F ...

Simon Watkins, Mail on Sunday4 March 2007 The Financial Ombudsman Service has reported two banks to the City watchdog for failing to deal fairly with customers who have complained about account charges. IN CHARGE: Ombudsman Walter Merricks WANT TO KNOW MORE? RECLAIM BANK CHARGES: Template letter Q&A: Your bank charges questions answered CALCULATOR: Bank charges calculator OTHER STORIES Tesco 'cheat' on 50% pledge TV to cash in on a betting gold rush Market report ...

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - There are no plans to tax earnings from stock trading, the State Administration of Taxation said. "The recent rumors that the government is considering changing the tax-free policy for income from stock transactions are absolutely groundless," an unidentified official said in a question-and-answer session posted on the administration's website late Friday. The offi ...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal bank regulators, worried about a surge in defaults on high-risk home mortgages, called on lenders to exercise caution in making subprime loans and strictly evaluate borrowers' ability to repay them. The proposed guidance issued Friday by the Federal Reserve and the other four federal agencies that regulate banks, thrifts and credit unions, comes in an increasingly troubl ...

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks stumbled in the final session of a tumultuous week as the yen rallied against the dollar and concerns about the U.S. economy still dogged investors after Tuesday's huge drop. The Dow Jones industrials logged their worst weekly performance in more than four years. The Dow on Friday, as it had the day before, poked tentatively into positive territory Friday before retreat ...

(AP) - UNITED NATIONS -- The world's two top ethanol producers -- the U.S. and Brazil -- announced the creation of an international forum to help expand the global market for biofuels, just days before the two countries are expected to sign a separate agreement promoting ethanol across the Western Hemisphere. The International Biofuel Forum will meet regularly for a year to draft global standards ...

NEW YORK (AP) - businessminute Stocks stumbled in the final session of a tumultuous week Friday as the yen rallied against the dollar and concerns about the U.S. economy still dogged investors after Tuesday's huge drop. The Dow Jones industrials logged their worst weekly performance in more than four years. The Dow, as it had Thursday, poked tentatively into positive territory Friday be ...