The FTSE 100 slid to its third worst week on record today, closing at its lowest level since April 2003, amid further signs of the frailty of the world economy

Investors are counting the costs of a grim few days on the markets now that a FTSE 100 rally of almost 800 points has all but evaporated

Electrical retailer DSG International, the owner of Currys and PC World, was the biggest riser on the FTSE 250 this morning, up 35%

The FTSE 100 has made an uncertain start to the day, taking mixed signals from last night's carnage on Wall Street and gains on the Asian markets

Insurance companies are the latest to feel the full force of investors' fears

After yesterday's 5% fall on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down once more in the first half hour of trading today

The precipitous share price decline in housebuilder Taylor Wimpey has been somewhat halted in recent days on hopes that recent hefty interest rate cuts could help revive the slumping housing market

Royal Bank of Scotland is seeing a bit of a revival ahead of its shareholder meeting this afternoon

Bookies are in demand after a positive - or at least, less negative - note from analysts at UBS

As the market heads south again with the usual suspects - miners and banks - leading the way, software group Sage is also a casualty

A continuous cocktail of bad news during the day has sent share prices tumbling once more, with the leading index falling nearly 5% and testing the 4000 level

Not only are companies falling sharply on bad news, they are also being hit hard by analysts predicting bad news, such is the febrile nature of the market at the moment

Drugs group AstraZeneca has fallen 130p to £26.75p after mixed results form Phase 3 trials of its lung cancer treatment Zactima. On top of that, rival Teva has just gained approval for a generic version of Astra's asthma treatment Pulmicort Repsules

More on the banks. Following the note from Credit Suisse, JP Morgan has this morning cut its price targets across the sector and slashed its earnings forecasts for 2009 by 31%. Continue reading...

Ahead of today's meeting of Lloyds TSB shareholders to approve its takeover of HBOS, shares in both banks are moving higher