Persimmon share price dips in wake of Help to Buy contract fears February 25, 2019 Persimmon was among the biggest FTSE 100 market fallers this evening as fears that the property giant could lose its Help to Buy contract weighed on investor confidence. The developer will be hoping to claw back positive sentiment in the City tomorrow in its full-year profit results, after shares closed down nearly five per cent [...]
New mortgage commitments climb in third quarter of 2018 December 11, 2018 New mortgage commitments in the third quarter of 2018 were 4.7 per cent higher than last year, according to new statistics from the Bank of England. Meanwhile, the value of residential property mortgage loans jumped to £1,43bn in the third quarter, rising 3.2 per cent on the same period a year ago. The share of new lending [...]
UK house prices: Brexit clouds lift, but coronavirus threat looms March 6, 2020 UK house prices rose 2.8 per cent in February compared to the same month last year, Halifax data showed today. Homes’ values increased 0.3 per cent month on month and 2.9 per cent on a quarterly basis, Halifax’s House Price Index found. That left the average UK house price at £240,677 in February. But while [...]
Bubble trouble: Lessons from three centuries of boom and bust August 6, 2020 While 2020 has seen its fair share of market turbulence, it has some way to go to match the volatility of 1720. This month marks the 300th anniversary of the peak of the South Sea Bubble — one of the first financial bubbles, and still one of history’s greatest. The bubble began when the South [...]
US oil prices rebound into positive territory after historic crash April 21, 2020 US crude oil has bounced back into positive territory after plunging into negative territory for the first time, as the coronavirus outbreak crushes demand. The US oil benchmark – West Texas Intermediate (WTI) – was at $1.43 a barrel in afternoon trading in Asia after starting the session at minus $14. It means producers were [...]
Why caution on Hong Kong is paying dividends October 24, 2019 Prudent investors will have been cautious on Hong Kong for some time, says Henderson Far East Income Fund Manager Mike Kerley; with Asia’s income growth coming from elsewhere. For anyone with an interest in the Asian growth story, the scenes in Hong Kong are very worrying. While no one could have foreseen the scale and [...]
Covid-19 creates a perfect storm for debt crises March 24, 2020 The coronavirus epidemic means that the global economy will experience a severe shock this year. In addition to the human and social impact of the epidemic, output is stalling around the world. Quarantine measures, illness, and negative consumer and business sentiment suppress demand. At the same time, the closure of some factories and disruption to [...]
UK construction activity falls for first time in 11 months March 4, 2019 UK construction activity declined in February for the first time in eleven months led by a drop in commercial building work. Civil engineering work also fell but residential construction continued to grow for the 13th consecutive month, according to the IHS Markit / CIPS Construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI). The survey of businesses also found [...]
Budget reactions: Optimism and relief to Sunak’s plans March 4, 2021 Following Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement yesterday, of a raft of new support measures alongside plans to shore up Britain’s finances in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the details of this year’s Budget gradually become clear to SMEs, entrepreneurs, startups and others in London and across the country. Sunak set out extensions to the furlough [...]
London property market sentiment strengthens after Conservative election victory January 16, 2020 London’s property market has enjoyed a “Boris bounce” following the result of last month’s General Election, as the capital saw a sharp increase in buyer interest and sales prospects. In December, 31 per cent of chartered surveyors saw a rise rather than a fall in enquiries from new buyers, up from minus 12 in November, [...]