Investors in Wolseley were spooked by deteriorating construction markets in Europe today, despite an otherwise healthy set of third-quarter figures.

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.

Today

The online grocer Ocado has mounted a vigorous defence of its business model after posting another loss for the 11th year running.

Investors in online-poker specialist 888 Holdings will be hoping for a strong update today.

Premier Foods shocked the City yesterday by revealing that the chief executive it had brought in to revive the fortunes of the debt-laden owner of Hovis bread was leaving after just 18 months.

Today

Hopes of a deal in the United States fiscal cliff negotiations lifted stock markets across the world yesterday and boosted feelings that 2012 will end on an economic high. While a record-breaking Santa Rally is almost certainly out of the question, experts said positive news from across the pond could propel markets beyond their current level.

Most people watching I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here are probably squirming at the behaviour of its inmates, Z-listers and creepy crawlies alike. Not City analysts: they're busy working out whether better viewing figures should affect their forecasts for its broadcaster.

Nothing like a disaster at sea to put people off booking a cruise. The deadly accident in January that befell those on board the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy steered potential cruise goers to safer shores for months. Last month, the cruise operator Carnival reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results which showed signs that punters were regaining their sea legs. Yesterday, US rival Royal Caribbean raised its full-year forecast.

The chief executive of Aquarius Platinum has resigned as pressure mounts across the South African precious metal industry, with falling prices and violent wage protests.

Brisk summer business usually comes in the shape of holidays, barbeques, and ice cream sales. But for BTG the summer sun boosts the flogging of snake anti-venom. BTG, the pharmaceutical group which was first created by the Government to protect British inventions back in the 1940s, shot up the FTSE 250 index after reporting that it had outperformed in the first half and was increasing its revenue expectations for the full year.

The match to take over Goals Soccer Centre, which had already dragged into extra time, yesterday ended in a shock defeat for the £73m bidder.

It looks like it is going to take more than a buggy assault course and an in-store coffee shop to persuade the Square Mile that Mothercare is worth buying. The struggling baby products retailer recently launched a new-look store in an attempt to revive its fortunes, but it has not stopped the attacks from scribes in the City.