Falling prices at the petrol pumps led to a bigger-than-expected drop in inflation in April, the first easing in the annual rate of price rises for six months.

Britain's major cement firms were today facing "hard-hitting" action after a regulator accused them of failing to compete on pricing.

Marks & Spencer today mounted a vigorous defence of its strategy after its profits tumbled for the second consecutive year.

Stimulus measures pushing down bond yields keep equities in demand

Shares in cruise ship giant Carnival were hit today as moves to cut prices following a succession of PR catastrophes triggered a profit warning.

Burberry today struck an upbeat note on its prospects in China, as an emerging army of luxury shoppers in the Asian country helped to drive a sharp uplift in annual profits.

Nick Buckles today unexpectedly quit as boss of FTSE 100 security giant G4S after having survived a string of corporate embarrassments including last year's Olympic security fiasco and a failed £5.2 billion takeover.

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

Business Secretary believes organisation faces 'fundamental threat' from email and must be reformed

The property giant British Land has revealed that a number of independent retailers will trade alongside the high street’s biggest names at its shopping centre in Fareham, Hampshire, which opens on Thursday.

Mitie, the outsourcer that is catering at the Chelsea Flower Show, said yesterday that switching to longer and more lucrative contracts had triggered a 5.4 per cent rise in pre-tax profit to £111.1m in the year to April.

Food scares and stricter pig production rules across Europe will all be good for the bacon, sausage and cooked meats group Cranswick, its chairman said yesterday.

John Thornton, the former Goldman Sachs president who specialises in Chinese affairs, is stepping down from the board of HSBC to spend more time on his other business interests.

An influential think-tank has become the latest organisation to call on the Government to alleviate the punishing impact of business rates in an effort to curb the spiralling number of store closures on the  high street.

The developers of Battersea Power Station broke through the $1bn (£660m) sales barrier yesterday amid “phenomenal” interest in new flats and townhouses at the London landmark.