Number of cash withdrawals in the UK rises for first time in 13 years January 11, 2023 Cash usage increased for the first time in 13 years in 2022, according to fresh data from Nationwide, as Brits responded to the cost-of-living crisis by budgeting with physical money. “For the first time in years we are seeing a natural rise in cash withdrawals as people return to using cash to help avoid getting [...]
Skills gap remains ‘stubbornly high’ with over half of London firms suffering from shortages June 19, 2024 Engineering was the most commonly cited occupation where firms are struggling to find the right workers followed by sales and marketing.
House price growth faces ‘significant drag’ from rate rises but London remains ‘buoyant’ June 30, 2023 House price growth may face “significant drag” from high interest rates as fresh figures show they remained relatively stable in June despite yearly growth being negative. The latest Nationwide House Price Index show house prices remained broadly flat in June, but down 2.5 per cent compared to last year, owing in part to 13 successive [...]
BBVA could raise offer for Sabadell by selling TSB, analysts say May 13, 2024 Analysts have argued Spanish banking giant Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) could raise its hostile takeover bid for smaller domestic rival Banco Sabadell by selling its UK arm TSB.
Interest rate hikes triggers house price fall and analysts think there’s further to go June 1, 2023 House prices remain below their August peak as demand softens following a spike in interest in early spring. The annual rate of house price growth slipped back to -3.4 per cent from -2.7 per cent in April, figures from Nationwide show, as the Bank of England’s decision to hike interest rates rattled buyers confidence. In [...]
Prime London Housing market holding up against backdrop of high interest rates October 4, 2023 The prime property market in London appears to be holding up relatively strongly in the face of rising interest rates, according to an index. House prices in prime central London in the third quarter of 2023 were typically 1.2 per cent lower than a year earlier, estate agent Savills reported. Property values across London’s prime property market generally were down by 2.1 per cent annually in the third quarter of this year. [...]
Has the UK housing market turned a corner as the Bank of England cut interest rates? August 9, 2024 Quiet optimism is the mood of the day in the housing market, as house prices firmly ticked up in July. Both the Nationwide and Halifax house price indices posted accelerating house price growth. Nationwide reported a 0.3 per cent month on month increase and Halifax pointed to a stronger 0.8 per cent month on month [...]
UK now second most targeted country for mergers and acquisitions March 28, 2024 The UK is now the second most targeted nation for mergers and acquisitions globally, behind only the US, as deals in the country have surged to $76.1bn (£60.2bn) so far in 2024. UK mergers and acquisitions have been 88 per cent higher than this time last year but are still below the values in the [...]
House prices rise for the first time in seven months but analysts still expect a rough ride May 2, 2023 The housing market showed “tentative” signs of recovery in April as the price of homes rose 0.5 per cent during the month, however prices remain four per cent below their August 2022 peak. The Nationwide house price index showed that the annual rate of house price growth improved to -2.7 per cent from -3.1 per [...]
Natwest boss open to acquisitions as he predicts more consolidation in UK banking June 6, 2024 The chief executive of Natwest has said the state-backed lender is open to acquisitions as he predicts more consolidation in the UK banking market over the coming years.