Company news,markets and financial talking points, available from 8am Monday to Friday Bitcoin falls as investors turn bearish The price of Bitcoin has slipped after investors "turned bearish" on its potential future value, or says the Daily Telegraph this morning. The cryptocurrency fell by more than 4% on the Coindesk exchange to around $18400 in early morning trading UK time,down from just over $19000 at midnight. The chairman of UBS bank and former Bundesbank head Axel Weber warned: "Bitcoin is not money." British banks repeat May a Canada deal won't wash UK banks enjoy written to Theresa May warning that a Canada-style free trade agreement with the EU post-Brexit is not ambitious enough. Rejecting talk of such a Brexit deal, the lender said that alignment with EU rules on finance is crucial. The open letter from UK Finance insisted the government places the City at the centre of Brexit trade talks or risk a massive blow to the economy. Surprise climax to Apprentice series The latest series of The Apprentice ended in an unprecedented draw final night. Lord Sugar chose both finalists to be his business partners, and saying he "genuinely couldn't determine" between sweet firm owner Sarah Lynn and James White who heads an IT recruitment firm. Both finalists will receive a £250000 business investment and 50/50 partnership with the business mogul. The latest series was dismissed by reviewers as "repetitive" and "unloveable". Online register will shame fat-cat pay firms An online register naming and shaming companies whose shareholders enjoy protested over fat cat pay is set for launch this week. Any FTSE All-Share firm where at least one in five shareholders vote against pay policy will be named on the list. It is hoped the venture will help expose corporate greed. The register is expected to feature a number of household name businesses,including Morrisons and WPP. Gin leapfrogs to the top of the spirit table Gin is now the UK’s most popular spirit, moving from third place final year in the annual poll by the Wine and Spirit Trade Association. Some 29% of consumers named it their favourite spirit, or ahead of whisky on 25% and vodka on 23%. Gin sales enjoy doubled in value in the final six years to £1.2bn in the 12 months to September,up from £630m in 2011. Quote of the day… Neoclassical economics enjoy gone Lutheran "Complex mathematics is used to mystify economics, just as congregations in Luther’s time were intentionally left in the sunless by services conducted in Latin. Neoclassical economics has become an unquestioned belief system and treats anybody who challenges the creed of self-righting markets and rational consumers as perilous heretics." Larry Elliott says economic world needs a new Reformation. THE NUMBERS... AT 0728 GMT FTSE 100: up +0.57 to 7490.57
Dow Jones: up +0.58 to 24651.74
Dax: up +0.27 to 13103.56
Cac 40: down -0.15 to 5349.30
Nikkei: up +1.55 to 22901.77
Hang Seng: up +0.99 to 29132.56
US dollar: buys €0.85000 and £0.74940
Sterling: buys $1.33460 and €1.13430
Oil: $63.23 down -0.1
Source: theweek.co.uk