Oddbins falls into administration for the second time in eight years February 1, 2019 Oddbins today became one of the first high street casualties of 2019, as news emerged that the off licence’s owners have fallen into administration for the second time in eight years. Administrators Duff & Phelps confirmed that the companies behind Oddbins and a string of high street alcohol stores are now insolvent. Read more: Oddbins set [...]
Opinion: Why Gibraltar is a rock solid investment, despite being caught in Brexit’s cross-hairs April 30, 2018 Lesser known than some of its European counterparts, the British overseas territory of Gibraltar has hit the headlines recently. A few weeks ago, the British government guaranteed Gibraltar’s access to UK financial markets until 2020 – with a framework being developed to take it beyond that against the backdrop of Brexit. Earlier in January, Gibraltar’s [...]
Focus On Chalk Farm: property prices, best streets and house price growth February 16, 2018 Clustered in among some of London’s most popular neighbourhoods, Chalk Farm is a sort of dividing line between the tourists and the nightlife of Camden, and the exclusive neighbourhoods of Primrose Hill and Belsize Park. As such, it’s moments away from both – with 24 hour transport links now the Northern line has joined the [...]
Rising Risk (Part I): Accounting shenanigans and alternative investments October 2, 2019 In this first instalment of a two-part piece, Sebastien Canderle says PE fund managers are getting creative with their accounting – and EBITDA seems particularly malleable. Seasoned auditors know that the risk of fraud increases when a client experiences brisk organic growth or M&A activity. During the 1990s, the most spirited dealmakers included telecoms operators [...]
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wants powers to take over empty luxury properties to solve the housing crisis January 28, 2018 Jeremy Corbyn wants to reclaim luxury property that is left “deliberately” empty to help solve the nation’s housing crisis. “We would give local authorities the power to take over deliberately left vacant properties,” the Labour leader said, speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show on Sunday morning. Read more: Editor’s Notes: May can benefit from [...]
New car market misfires as confusion over government policy and incentives dents demand June 5, 2019 Rule changes to government policy and automotive grants caused hybrid and diesel car sales to plummet in May. Overall new car sales fell 4.6 per cent year-on-year to just 183,724 units. The figures come from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Read more: Car sales fall as removal of subsidies takes its toll [...]
Housing reform is the only way to solve generational inequality May 10, 2018 This week, the Resolution Foundation published a report entitled A New Intergenerational Contract. The report, from the think tank’s Intergenerational Commission, found that millennials (born 1980-1996) are now half as likely to own a home at age 30 as baby boomers were. Four out of 10 millennials now rent privately at age 30 – double [...]
First time buyers still waiting for Brexit boost as banks demand higher deposits September 12, 2016 The Brexit vote has not been the boon for first-time buyers many forecasters expected it might be, new analysis of prices and mortgage data has revealed. In the aftermath of the referendum, many expected house prices across the country to dip, making it easier for hard-pressed savers to get a foot on the ladder. However, [...]
London’s house price to salary ratio has hit a record high November 28, 2017 The house price to salary ratio has hit a record high in London, piling even more pressure on the capital's strained property market. The average house price in London reached £496,000 in October, and average earnings were £34,200, representing house price ratio of 14.5 times Londoners' salaries. The ratios were also steep in Cambridge and [...]
Oddbins owner appoints administrators with hundreds of jobs at risk January 28, 2019 The owner of wine retailer Oddbins is preparing to appoint administrators for the second time in less than a decade. European Food Brokers, which owns subsidiaries Wine Cellar Trading and Whittalls Wine Merchants, said it has filed a notice of intent to appoint Duff & Phelps as administrators to fix an insolvency, Sky News reported tonight. EFB, [...]