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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

Pressure grows on chief executive despite stellar showing by food business

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.