Investors received more than they bargained for during the past year, with a series of high-profile takeovers and flotations. Here is the second part of the UK highlights...

July

The FTSE 100 Index plunged more than 200 points as traders reacted to explosions in the heart of London. Losses were later limited to less than 100 points as the London Stock Exchange asked traders to switch off certain electronic trading systems to prevent a more volatile response.

About 1,500 jobs were lost when the owner of the Tiny and Time computer brands collapsed with losses approaching £2m a month. The UK's biggest computer maker was hit by falling prices, weakening consumer demand and strong competition.

The new boss of Asda wielded the axe on 1,400 management posts after complaining the supermarket had become too complicated and bureaucratic. The jobs blow - equivalent to the loss of five managerial posts at each Asda branch - came at a time when the chain was in danger of losing its place as the UK's second-largest supermarket to rival Sainsbury's.

Priory Group, best known for helping celebrities overcome their addictions, was sold to ABN Amro for £875m and Lord King of Wartnaby, who masterminded the successful privatisation of British Airways, died aged 87.

August

Analysts said British Airways lost up to £40m after catering workers employed by Gate Gourmet were sacked and wildcat strikes paralysed its operations at Heathrow Airport. The forecasts equated to eight per cent of BA's predicted profits of £520m.

Reebok agreed a £2.14bn takeover by German rival Adidas. Reebok, which traces its roots back to Bolton more than a century ago, will enable Adidas to more than double its sales in North America and leave it better able to take on industry leader Nike.

Dragons' Den judge Rachel Elnaugh saw the Red Letter Days business that made her a TV celebrity placed into administration. Entrepreneur and fellow judge Peter Jones teamed up with former Millwall chairman Theo Paphitis to purchase the goodwill and assets of the company, which sells vouchers for activities such as hot air balloon flights and bungee jumping.

The founders of Ottakar's agreed a £78.6m buyout of the book chain, despite the threat of a counterbid from Waterstone's owner HMV, and Cable and Wireless agreed the takeover of Energis after surviving an attempt by rival bidder Thus.

September

The chairman and chief executive of Equitable Life faced calls to resign after the society dropped its £700m damages claim against former auditors.

The personal fortune of Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, right, soared after he agreed to sell Russian oil company Sibneft for £7.36bn. The purchase by Gazprom, the world's biggest natural gas producer, was the biggest in Russian corporate history and took its stake in Sibneft to more than 75 per cent.

Store card providers were under pressure after the Competition Commission said they overcharged consumers by up to £100m a year.

DHL owner Deutsche Post created the world's largest logistics company by agreeing a £3.7bn takeover of distribution company Exel, PartyGaming became the first web-based company to join the FTSE 100 Index since the dotcom boom and Unilever, which has owned Birds Eye since the 1940s, said it was considering its options for the business and its other European frozen food divisions.

October

Retail tycoon Philip Green collected Britain's biggest pay cheque after netting a £1.2bn windfall from his fashion empire. Mr Green surprised the City with the scale of the dividend award from his Arcadia chain, which is 92 per cent owned by the entrepreneur and his family.

Spanish telecoms group Telefonica struck a deal for O2 worth £17.7bn. The offer for the UK's second largest operator, which demerged from BT in 2001, was the largest acquisition since France Telecom bought Orange in 2000.

Boots and Alliance UniChem took on the supermarkets by agreeing to create a pharmacy company with 2,600 stores in the UK and £13bn of sales. Alliance Boots will become the largest drugs retailer and wholesaler in the UK.

Marks & Spencer shares were at a three-year high after new ranges and an overhaul helped it report a dramatic pick-up in sales, about 2.4 million Standard Life members were promised a shares windfall if the company listed on the stock market and once-mighty Marconi agreed to sell most of its assets to Ericsson.

November

Ports and ferries group P&O bowed to a £3.3bn takeover from a Dubai company as the shipping brand signalled the end of 168 years of independence. Depending on rival bids, the tie-up with Dubai Ports World could create one of the world's top three ports companies.

Marks & Spencer welcomed back designer George Davies to the company after likening an earlier falling out to a lovers' tiff. Mr Davies signed a new contract only a month after resigning.

Powergen owner E.On cancelled plans to bid for Scottish Power after being told a proposed offer worth £11.3bn failed to meet expectations. The German utility company said it was disappointed by the rejection from Scottish Power.

Billionaire John Caudwell put his Phones4U retail business up for sale after receiving a number of approaches from potential suitors, Jewson owner Saint-Gobain secured a deal for plasterboard maker BPB after overcoming months of opposition with an offer worth £3.9bn.

December

Cable firm ntl turned up the heat on rival BSkyB by announcing plans for a possible takeover of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Mobile group. Independent directors rejected the £817m approach, although Sir Richard said he would be very surprised if a deal was not done eventually.

The couple who launched Friends Reunited from their spare bedroom celebrated a £30m windfall after selling the business to ITV.

The Unwins off-licence chain closed with the loss of 1,800 jobs after administrators appointed to the 168-year-old Unwins business said it had no future following excessive losses in the face of supermarket competition.

Australian bank Macquarie made a £1.5bn hostile takeover bid for the London Stock Exchange. It was rejected as "derisory", Provident Financial closed all branches of its Yes Car Credit business with the loss of 820 jobs and the takeover of Ottakar's by HMV was referred to the Competition Commission.