The Business Matrix: Monday 7 May 2012

Banking reform in Queen's Speech

This week's Queen's Speech will herald legislation on ringfencing banks' riskier "casino" operations from their everyday retail arms, as recommended by last year's Independent Commission on Banking, it is believed. A White Paper will give confirm that normal people's savings will be at the top of the queue in the event of a bank hitting trouble. Draft legislation will be made in the autumn.

Shopkeepers hit by rents squeeze

Rents being charged to retailers by their landlords have only fallen marginally over the last five years, despite the economic crisis hitting the High Street. The research firm IPD says that annualised rental values declined by an average of just 1.1 per cent over the five years from the peak in December 2008.

Flybe hopes for Danish routes

British airline Flybe is said to be in talks to take over several Danish domestic flight routes from recently-collapsed local budget airline Cimber Sterling. Reports in Denmark said Flybe wants to operate all the Danish and some other Nordic routes previously run by Cimber.

Avengers keep Disney on a roll

Walt Disney's Marvel's The Avengers movie has taken $200.3m in box office sales in its opening weekend, trumping its previous biggest blockbuster, Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows: Part 2, last year. US and Canadian cinemas took an average $46,063 on The Avengers, movie website Hollywood.com polled.