Barclays Share News (BARC)

The economic recovery will continue over the next two years, leading to average wage rises for all workers - not just certain professions - finally outstripping inflation in both 2015 and 2016, according to the employers' organisation the CBI. But the recovery could be put at risk if the eurozone's economy slumps further and other global tensions damage British exports, the group warns in its latest forecast. The CBI's report, issued today ahead of its annual conference this week, predicts economic growth of 3% this year, dipping slightly to 2.5% in the following two years. - The Daily MailUp to 40% of commercial premiums written through London's insurers - equivalent to £12bn to £16bn a year - could be lost to rivals in locations such as Singapore, according to a new study. The London Market Group and Boston Consulting are urging concerted action among all the City's players, from insurers, brokers, regulators and even politicians, if London is to avoid losing its crown at the top of the worldwide market for commercial protection. - The TimesBarclays, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland are set to be fined billions by US and UK regulators for currency market rigging, as part of a settlement being worked out this weekend. A source at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that there was a 50:50 chance of a settlement being announced as early as this week. Swiss banking group UBS and Wall Street giants JP Morgan and Citigroup also face fines for manipulating the foreign exchange market. It is understood that the FCA will fine the six banks at least £1.5bn, however, the total bill will be significantly higher as the US Justice Department and Commodities Futures Commission typically impose heavier fines. - Daily Express Ten million British jobs could be taken over by computers and robots over the next 20 years, wiping out more than one in three roles. Low-paid, repetitive positions are most likely to go, with people earning less than £30,000 a year five times more likely to see their jobs taken over by machines than those paid £100,000, new research has warned. Huge advances in technology risks creating an under-class of low-skilled people whose jobs have been automated, according to a joint report from Deloitte, the Big Four accountancy firm, and the University of Oxford. - The Daily TelegraphA third of mortgage borrowers say they will struggle to meet their repayments if interest rates rise by two percentage points, with those in the south-east most concerned about coping with an increase in their monthly loan bills, according to ICM research. The survey asked mortgage borrowers how far, on a five-point scale, they agreed that a two-point rise in interest rates would mean that they would "struggle" to pay their mortgage. Across Britain as a whole, 14% answered with a five, indicating they "strongly agreed" that they would struggle, while another 18% gave a four, indicating that they too could struggle considerably. - The GuardianThe independence of the CBI has been undermined because it received more than £800,000 in funding from the European Commission over the past five years, Business for Britain, a eurosceptic lobby group, has claimed. The revelation, which will spark renewed questions about the transparency of the CBI, comes amid an increasingly bitter war of words between business leaders about a European referendum and a possible exit from the European Union. - The Times