Wall Street gave up a big early advance and closed mixed today after oil prices closed above 100 for the first time and stoked fears that inflation will stymie an already troubled economy.

The Woolwich in the UK today became the latest lender to announce it was cutting the cost of its fixed-rate mortgages.

Barclays bank may be in need of an overdraft after being ordered to pay €1.1qn in compensation to the former owner of a Spanish bank it acquired 25 years ago