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On FT Alphaville this morning,

- A Bank of England report charts the interplay between financial innovation, the banks and their counterparties - covering such hot topics as the monoline insurers and ABCP. Thing is, they published this six years ago.

- Meanwhile the creeping toxic tide is starting to threaten the bond insurers. Markit on Monday noted that the credits of the insurers are under intense pressure, “with many speculating that it could provide the year’s first major default.”

- Who’s made use of the Bank of England’s standing facility on Tuesday?

- Countrywide could be set for a Buffett bounce.

- It’s a conspiracy! Or maybe not. Barron’s has a letter from an anonymous “bearish hedge-fund operator”

- For Michael Gordon, chief investment officer at Fidelity International - current events just back back to a shift in the old battle between fear and greed.

On FT.com this morning,

- Nasdaq is in discussions with major OMX shareholders to persuade them to accept only shares in its takeover bid for the Nordic market operator, enabling it to offer more cash to key hedge fund investors.
- Persimmon,  the UK house-builder, blamed planning permission delays for a slowdown in house  sales and revenues in the first half, as it reported a 9.8 per cent jump in  interim pre-tax profits to a record £281.1m.

- Weir  Group on Tuesday announced sharply higher interim pre-tax profits,  encouraging analysts to edge up profit forecasts and pushing up shares.

-  Profits at Brixton,  the industrial property company, rose by 49 per cent driven by rising capital  values and rental growth.

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