OUTLOOK 3i expected to report 24 pct rise in H1 NAV

OUTLOOK - UK companies results for 2 weeks to Nov 16 UPDATE

OUTLOOK BoE to keep rates at 5.75 pct as UK economic growth remains firm UPDATETFN economic and business calendar to Friday Nov 16

OUTLOOK Swiss Re Q3 seen strong from absence of large damage claims

End-of-day Market Roundup

OUTLOOK BoE to keep rates at 5.75 pct as UK economic growth remains firm UPDATE

UK small caps close near to session low; Eicom slumps after share placing

Friday's market reports:

Telegraph
The Times
The Times (Need to know)
FT
The Guardian
The Independent
This is Money

Meredith Whitney, the analyst who prompted a $369 billion (£177 billion) plunge in the value of US shares on Thursday by issuing a negative note on Citigroup, hit out at Wall Street’s culture of intimidation yesterday after receiving several death threats from investors in the bank.

Top US analyst hits back after death threats over Citigroup downgrade

As expected, the US Federal Reserve lowered interest rates to 4.5 per cent on Wednesday. But the Fed then pulled a surprise, stressing that with America's inflation risk "on the upside", rates wouldn't be lowered again. Having slashed borrowing costs twice in the wake of this summer's sub-prime debacle – a 50 basis point reduction in September, and last week's 25 point cut – the Fed was trying to regain its composure. Having bailed out Wall Street to the tune of tens of billions of dollars – again – the Fed wanted to rebuild the façade of independent central banking. But no one was convinced. Of course the Fed will cut rates again.

Fed will have to cut rates again

Investors and stock market traders are bracing themselves for another roller coaster week, as concerns about further banking turmoil, high oil prices and the weak dollar persist.

City sentiment 'still very fragile'

Beleaguered investment bank Bear Stearns has moved to liquidate one of the feeder hedge funds that invested in its collapsed High-Grade Enhanced Leverage (Hegel) fund in an attempt to fend off a potential investor revolt.

Bear Sterns moves to fend off investor revolt

After the deluge . . . what, exactly? Members of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) are still very unsure. More than a month on from the unravelling of Northern Rock, and with money markets no longer in a state of permanent seizure, it ought to be easier for the MPC to make its decision on interest rates at its two-day meeting this week. But the signals are mixed and the outlook remains cloudy. There are plenty of reasons for the MPC to cut rates, but the deflationary international climate has passed and it is not as easy to cut rates as it was a few years back.

A rate cut must come but in troubled times it won’t be this side of Christmas

Shares in PetroChina, the largest oil and gas producer in China, will list in Shanghai today and are expected to double their initial public offering (IPO) price of 16.70 yuan (£1.07).

PetroChina shares could double in Shanghai IPO

The value of mainland China’s public offerings for this year hit a record $61bn (€42bn, £29bn) as PetroChina debuted in Shanghai, leaving New York, London and Hong Kong trailing in its wake. PetroChina shares nearly tripled as trading started in Shanghai Monday of the oil company which raised $8.9bn in mainland China’s largest initial public offering this year.

Petrochina gusher for Chinese IPO market