Europe

The European Central Bank has cut interest rates to a record low of 0.5 per cent.

The Cypriot parliament on Tuesday rejected a controversial plan to impose a tax on bank deposits.

The investment fund industry is contracting as cautious asset management firms in Europe choose to merge or close funds rather than launch new ones.

In spite of the eurozone crisis, European investment trusts have posted the fastest annual dividend growth out of all the investment trust sectors over the past five years, with a 20.5 per cent annual dividend increase.

The UK has been voted the worst place to live in Europe for quality of life, according to uSwitch.

Artemis is launching a ‘best ideas’ European equity fund on 17 October. 

European markets fell at the start of trading on Friday, ahead of the US August jobs report.

Fears that Europe could be the next Japan are overblown, experts say, although the continent could be hit by an ‘austerity wave’ coming over from the US next year.