London house prices: As the average property price soars to £600,000, Osborne’s measures to tackle the UK’s housing problem could risk making the problem worse December 10, 2015 For those hoping to get on the housing ladder, it's clear that not enough is being done to address the issue of ever-unattainable prices. While there is some evidence to suggest growth in London at least is slowing, figures out today show that the average price of a property in London has reached £600,000. Last week [...]
FTSE 100 rises despite housebuilders’ fears over new tax – London Report November 26, 2015 George Osborne’s announcement yesterday that he plans to raise property tax for those who buy a house in order to rent it and on second homes curtailed hefty gains made by housebuilders. However, in general, investors signalled their approval of the chancellor’s Autumn Statement, with the blue-chip FTSE 100 index finishing one per cent higher [...]
KPMG: Commercial banks and high net worth individuals face bigger threat from hackers targeting specific victims in 2016 January 3, 2016 With high-profile corporate attacks and tightened legislation, cybersecurity soared higher on boardroom agendas last year, but experts are predicting the threat will continue to grow worse in 2016, as hackers increasingly target specific victims. High net worth individuals, commercial banks and corporate treasuries will be especially exposed to threat from organised crime groups this year, [...]
UK skills shortages leading to hindered growth but rising wages in the construction sector January 14, 2016 Wages in the construction industry have shot up as skills shortages continue to plague the sector. According to a survey released today by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), just under two-thirds (61 per cent) of construction professionals feel wages in their sector have risen sharply, while average earnings in the industry rose by [...]
HS2 boss blasted by campaigners after surprise Rolls-Royce exit September 11, 2016 Campaigners have slammed the news that HS2 chief executive Simon Kirby has quit the rail project for Rolls-Royce just weeks ahead of a government decision on whether to greenlight the next phase of the project, accusing him of seeking to leave "before the mess he has presided over is realised". Simon Kirby will leave for the engines giant at the end of [...]
Pearson, Bellway, SThree: Best of the Brokers for 14 December 2015 December 14, 2015 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com It’s been a bad few days for publisher Pearson, after a whole host of analysts sent the share price down by cutting its profit expectations. Deutsche Bank cut its price target on Pearson shares from 950p to 770p, while Jefferies’ David Reynolds slashed [...]
Unleash small developers to reap public sector land sale potential November 24, 2015 Today is a golden opportunity for the government to kick-start a house-building revolution in this country. We are in the midst of a generational housing crisis that necessitates ambition, innovation and creativity if it is to be resolved. Figures from across the political spectrum have got the right ideas on housing and the drive to [...]
How SoftBank won “national interest” backing from Theresa May for its “game-changing” Arm takeover November 7, 2016 Even the most devout follower of the London Stock Exchange’s RNS feed may have been confused by a statement issued by SoftBank last week. The Japanese lender published the number of staff employed by British tech giant Arm, a company it acquired in a £24bn mega-deal over the summer, as at 5 September. The figure, [...]
Autumn Statement 2014 predictions: What to watch out for December 2, 2014 WHO: GEORGE OSBORNE WHEN: 12.30 TODAY WHERE: HOUSE OF COMMONS WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW £2bn cash injection for NHS The NHS will receive an extra £2bn in funding, £1.3bn from departmental savings and £700k from the existing health budget. There will also be a £15m dementia fund £2.3bn for flood defences Extra money for [...]
Estate agent Foxtons tries to spread Christmas cheer with share buy back – as its share price edges higher December 16, 2015 Struggling estate agent Foxtons has announced a buyback of shares, in an attempt to spread a bit of Christmas cheer to shareholders, who have watched its shares fall more than 37 per cent from their peak this year. The company said the share buy back, which will start today, is "in line with [its] policy of [...]