Market Investment

Friday's news and tips - ■ BP 's bill for cleaning up after the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has hit $8bn (£5.2bn), up over £1bn in less than a month, and the relief well is not expected to intercept the broken MC252 well for a couple of weeks.

Global stocks rise on U.S. data payrolls in focus - Stocks and oil rose while U.S. Treasuries fell on Thursday as data on U.S. housing and jobless claims showed the world's largest economy did not appear to be falling back into recession.

How to buy foreign shares - Last week, we extolled the virtues of some of the world's greatest companies and made the case for buying their shares. This week, we look at the mechanics of buying overseas securities, the likely costs and the tax implications. We also profile another six cracking companies.

Bonds offer a good deal but not without risk - SAVERS have been warned against viewing corporate bonds as a panacea for their income woes after advisers raised concerns that many people underestimate the risks of investing

'Equities are dead, long live bonds' - A leading City analyst claims that bonds are a better bet than shares. Which way should investors turn?

Heard on the Street: Corporate bonds still winning friends in Europe - Europe's corporate credit market has been in the sweet spot for 18 months and isn't ready to be dislodged. Strong demand, resilient credit quality and low yields on other asset classes should continue to support the market.

Cash ISAs offer glimmer of hope for suffering savers - Everyone knows this is not a good time to be a saver.

The lights go on again in commercial property - A year of positive returns has helped to encourage some nerveless investors to return to the UK commercial property market.

Has the bottom fallen out of equities? - Asked what he thought about the French Revolution, Chairman Mao famously replied that it was "too soon to tell". His point, I suppose, was that events which seem important at the time may be less so when viewed as part of the great sweep of history.