Investors in UK stock market listed companies enjoyed a record £23.2bn total dividend payout in the third quarter. Capita's quarterly dividend monitor reveals that the payout is up 10.4 per cent on last year, although underlying growth has started to slow. The figures suggest companies are either sitting on cash or paying it out as dividends rather than investing it.

Customers 'will move' accounts

As many as 14 million people are prepared to shift their bank accounts when new legislation comes into force next year. Almost one in three high street bank customers told YouGov that they were very or highly likely to move bank if the process was made simpler. Recent figures from Which? said 55 per cent of people had never switched their current account.