Where are the UK’s £1m houses? These London boroughs sold more £1m-homes than Scotland, Wales and the rest of the UK combined October 30, 2015 All but two of London's boroughs have had more £1m-houses sold so far this year than the whole of Scotland. From January to the end of August just two local authorities – Dagenham & Barking and Newham – have had no sales of £1m-homes, placing them in the same position as Scotland. But even when compared to Wales, where 14 [...]
Duff & Phelps hits out at BHS pensions lifeboat in letter to Labour MP Frank Field January 15, 2017 The firm originally appointed to handle the collapse of BHS has criticised the company's largest unsecured creditor for trying to control the process. BHS fell into administration in April last year after its former owner Sir Philip Green sold it to serial bankrupt Dominic Chappell for £1. Green brought in Duff & Phelps to handle [...]
Electric shock – finding the winners and losers of the electric revolution October 11, 2017 The electric car – as a concept – is almost as old as the internal combustion engine (ICE). The first electric vehicle (EV) is credited, somewhat contentiously, to Scottish chemist Robert Anderson as far back as 1837. Thomas Edison is even rumoured to have explored a cheap electric car with Henry Ford as early as [...]
Nick Jones interview: Soho House founder on The Ned, his new £200m project in the heart of the Square Mile February 18, 2017 As Nick Jones returns his teacup to its saucer, sits back and spreads his arms across the fluffy blue sofa, he looks uncommonly comfy. Of course he does. The founder of the world’s most famous chain of private members clubs, Soho House, is in his home from home, 76 Dean Street, one of 18 dotted [...]
Smokers Paradise lost: City’s oldest cigar shop shuts its doors January 14, 2017 One of the City's oldest cigar shops has shut its doors after serving the great and the good of the Square Mile for almost 200 years. Smokers Paradise, a shop which was based in the iconic Royal Exchange at the heart of London's financial district, has sold its final Montecristo after rising rent costs made it [...]
Fintechs have a solution post-Brexit – now we must embrace the uncertainty March 16, 2017 With Article 50 set to be triggered imminently, the process of Britain leaving the EU is finally about to begin, with all that entails. Theresa May has set out plans for a Brexit that looks on the harder side of “hard”, worrying bankers and entrepreneurs alike. While fintech firms don’t welcome the prospect of regulatory [...]
Brickmaker Ibstock boosted by increased housebuilder demand and weak sterling January 16, 2017 Ibstock shares opened broadly flat this morning after announcing earnings would be in line with forecasts, with sales supported by strong second half demand the company said in its annual trading update. The figures The hard data is to come but the firm's trading update for the year to the December, today trailed the headlines. Group [...]
Bovis Homes takes £7m customer service hit as shares slump on falling profits February 20, 2017 Shares in Bovis Homes slumped around eight per cent this morning after the house builder counted the cost of customer service problems. Shares were down 7.86 per cent to 774.89p at the time of writing, after opening around 10 per cent lower, following the housebuilder saying this will be the year "when we reset the business" after a "difficult" [...]
These are the seven biggest risks facing housebuilders in 2017 December 6, 2016 Think housebuilders have had a bad year? Well, these analysts think 2017 could be worse. On the day of the Brexit vote, housebuilders were subjected to some of the most dramatic sell-offs of any stock. None of the big housebuilders have regained the ground they lost on the day. Read more: EU regulation protecting newts [...]
Government blocks sale of rare Wedgwood vase December 15, 2016 The culture minister has blocked a rare Josiah Wedgwood vase from leaving the country. The “Basaltes” vase was sold in July to an unnamed bidder for almost half a million pounds. However, it is hoped that an alternative buyer from the UK can raise an equivalent amount of £482,500 (plus £16,500 VAT) in order to [...]