A rescue mechanism for UK companies in severe trouble. It allows them to continue as a going concern, under supervision, giving them the opportunity to try to work their way out of difficulty. A firm [..]

One hundred basis points make up a percentage point, so an interest rate cut of 25 basis points might take the rate, for example, from 3% to 2.75%.

In a bear market, prices are falling and investors, fearing losses, tend to sell. This can create a self-sustaining downward spiral.

An annual general meeting, which companies hold each year for shareholders to vote on important issues such as dividend payments and appointments to the company's board of directors. If an emerge [..]

Things that provide income or some other value to their owner.Fixed assets (also known as long-term assets) are things that have a useful life of more than one year, for example buildings and machiner [..]

Economic policy aimed at reducing a government's deficit (or borrowing). Austerity can be achieved through increases in government revenues - primarily via tax rises - and/or a reduction in gover [..]

The financial rescue of a struggling borrower. A bailout can be achieved in various ways: providing loans to a borrower that markets will no longer lend to guaranteeing a borrower's debts guarant [..]

A legal process in which the assets of a borrower who cannot repay its debts - which can be an individual, a company or a bank - are valued, and possibly sold off (liquidated), in order to repay debts [..]

The key interest rate set by the Bank of England. It is the overnight interest rate that it charges to banks for lending to them. The base rate - and expectations about how the base rate will change i [..]

The Basel Accords refer to a set of agreements by the Basel Committee on Bank Supervision (BCBS), which provide recommendations on banking regulations. The purpose of the accords is to ensure that fin [..]