Time for Plan B? IMF tells George Osborne to ease pace of spending cuts

George Osborne has been urged to put his austerity programme on hold by the International Monetary Fund in order to support the anaemic economy.

'Europe's tax haven' Ireland faces criticism over Apple's tax bill

The Republic of Ireland has called for an international clampdown on multinationals shifting profits around the world to avoid tax, after criticism that Irish loopholes helped technology giant Apple to shrink its tax bill.

Nationwide mortgage high

Nationwide, Britain’s biggest building society, grabbed its biggest ever share of the mortgage market last year and saw its profits jump strongly as it continued to attract customers across from discredited high street banks.

House of Fraser defies High Street gloom with record sales and profits

House of Fraser, the privately owned department store chain, showed today it is defying the gloom on the High Street with record levels of sales and profits.

New blows shake hopes for UK economic recovery as IMF delivers warning to George Osborne

Slumping High Street sales and halting progress in cutting the deficit dampened hopes of green shoots for the British economy today.

Sony mull entertainment spin-off

Sony admitted today it could bow to pressure for a break-up of the Japanese electronics giant.

Lloyds and RBS get thumbs up from watchdog on capital

Britain’s taxpayer-bailed-out banks today reassured the City that they will not need to raise fresh capital despite the Bank of England recently saying that the UK banking sector had a £25 billion capital shortfall.

Cost-cutting plans see Britvic PLC shares fizzing

Britvic shares fizzed up 10 per cent today as the City warmed to some decent profits and plans for cost cuts of £30 million that will see the loss of hundreds of jobs.

Bitter winter sparks 28% profits rise for energy giant SSE

Energy giant SSE pocketed a 28 per cent profits boost as UK households turned up their heating to keep out the bitter winter weather.

Marks & Spencer hits an 8-year low after clothes sales slide

Falling clothes sales at Marks & Spencer have dragged down the retail giant's annual profits to an eight-year low, as it said the executive behind the “Your M&S” branding is to step down.

Vodafone tells tax critics it more than pays its way

Vodafone hit back over accusations of tax avoidance yesterday, insisting that it made an "absolutely huge" contribution to the UK Treasury, as the British mobile giant unveiled a big slump in annual pre-tax profits.

Peppa, the cartoon pig, set to bring home the bacon

The company behind the cartoon series Peppa Pig and movie franchise The Hunger Games will soon be ready to pay a maiden dividend as it gears up for a premium listing in London and possible entry to the FTSE 250.

Homeserve sets £6m aside in FCA inquiry

Homeserve, the emergency repairs company at the centre of a long-running inquiry into alleged mis-selling, is bracing itself for a £6m fine from the City's watchdog.

Bloomsbury gets by without Harry Potter

Academic and business publishing will never have the magical allure of Harry Potter, but entering these markets looks to be paying off for JK Rowling's old publisher, Bloombsury.

Not secure any more: G4S boss heads for exit at last

In a decision you can't imagine anyone ever thought was good, G4S once commissioned and recorded a corporate song. It was endorsed by the chief executive Nick Buckles, and even released as a single, all profits going to charity, of course (if there were any).

Market Report: Plunge in revenues makes bwin a loser

The odds were stacked against bwin.party yesterday after a 17 per cent fall in first-quarter revenues. The FTSE 250 gambling group, which is best-known for sponsoring Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid, missed the jackpot with a lukewarm trading update that failed to inspire investors.

Waterstones starts consultations over jobs with staff

Hundreds of jobs could go at Waterstones after the retailer launched a consultation with 560 managers as it seeks to slash costs and "secure the future" of the UK's last nationwide book chain.

Sales soar as Eco City moves to front of the taxi rank

Eco City Vehicles, the supplier of the Mercedes Vito London taxi, took advantage of the fall into administration of its rival, Manganese Bronze, last year with sales of Vitos jumping from 331 vehicles to 561. It now claims four out of every 10 new cab sales in the capital.

Sales growth returns at Morrisons

Morrisons has finally started to show signs of recovery, after a sustained period of weak trading.

Whiff of scandal lingers at Greencore

Greencore, the convenience foods and ready-meals maker, said yesterday that conditions remain challenging in a UK market still reeling from the horsemeat scandal.

Simon English: M&S glory days in the past? Bolland has little time to prove otherwise

Outlook How long has Marc Bolland got? About a year, seems the consensus, so that he can at least give undeniable evidence that his Marks & Spencer turnaround is actually turning.

Paragon seeks banking licence

Paragon, the buy-to-let mortgage provider, is applying for a banking licence in order to kickstart its consumer lending business.

Simon English: Politics will decide Royal Mail float price

Outlook Royal Mail plumped itself up for joining the stock market yesterday with some flashy looking operating profits.

Simon English: Vodafone's tax talk is just a nuisance call

Outlook Large companies that spend so much on public relations and marketing, and worry so much about how they appear, don't half make a hash of it when they talk about tax.

Adam Grant: Givers and takers - who are the best performers in the workplace?

"There are two kinds of people in the world," said the humorist Robert Benchley: "Those who believe there are two kinds of people in the world, and those who don't." After a decade of research in settings ranging from Google to government and military organisations, I've found that there are not two, but three kinds of people in the world. I call them takers, givers and matchers.

RBS and Lloyds stakes should be sold, says IMF

Britain will be advised to sell off the state's holdings in the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Bank by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a move that will embolden George Osborne as he attempts to justify his economic strategy.

Jamie Dimon survives investor rebellion at JP Morgan

Shareholders and activists clamouring for greater executive oversight at the helm of America's biggest bank suffered a blow yesterday after a proposal to split the chairman and chief executive roles at JP Morgan was defeated at its annual meeting, attracting fewer votes than last year.

Cement works sell-offs sought to improve the mix

The Competition Commission is looking to crack open the cement market by forcing the biggest three makers in the UK to sell off production facilities.

Inflation registers surprise April fall

The annual rate of inflation eased to 2.4 per cent last month, thanks to falls in petrol prices and air fares, the Office for National Statistics reported yesterday.

How to say ‘I’m a sellout’: Tumblr’s David Karp’s message of reassurance to his staff and loyal users sounded very familiar

When David Karp announced he was going to sell his social media website Tumblr to Yahoo for $1.1bn earlier this week, some of the site’s tribally loyal users took to the web to warn against an Instagram-style grab of their copyright rights and personal information.