Shoppers beat the Brexit blues to hit the high street as footfall increased slightly in May June 13, 2016 As the battle over the fate of BHS continues, the high street bounced back slightly in May as footfall figures increased year-on-year, new figures have shown. Despite a backdrop of retail failures towards the end of May and beginning of June, with Austin Reed shutting up its shops and BHS being "wound down", total retail footfall was [...]
Barratt shares fall despite assurances it’s confident in the face of Brexit July 13, 2016 That sad "wah, wah, waaah" trombone you heard this morning was coming from the general direction of housebuilder Barratt, which attempted to restore investor confidence with assurances over Brexit – only to have its shares drop anyway. In a statement this morning the company, whose shares have fallen almost 30 per cent since the result [...]
UK bond yields fall to a new record low, despite looming debt downgrades June 27, 2016 Borrowing costs for the UK government have dropped to their lowest on record as investors flock to the safe haven of government debt in the midst of Brexit uncertainty. Yields on the benchmark 10-year Treasury bonds plunged to 0.94 per cent, down an unprecedented 0.14 percentage points – or 14 basis points – since yesterday. It is [...]
UK house prices: 20pc discount offered to first-time house buyers in England February 28, 2015 From today, first-time house-buyers under the age of 40 can register for a 20 per cent discount on certain properties in England. The offer is taking place under a new government scheme called “starter homes”, which aims to make more affordable housing for young people on disused brownfield sites. “With average house prices for [...]
First-time home buyers should get a mortgage rather than rent, says Halifax February 15, 2015 Record low mortgage rates are contributing to a market where it is cheaper for first-time buyers to buy rather than rent. The average monthly cost associated with a first-time buyer buying a three bedroom house was £658 in December, according to figures released by mortgage lender Halifax at the weekend. It compares to an average [...]
At the close: Traders looking up on bumper day for the FTSE 100 May 24, 2016 The markets were up today, the pound was up today and oil was up today, as buyers outnumbered sellers across the board. The FTSE 100 closed up 1.4 per cent at 6,219.26, with greens dominating screens, defying logic as economic data pointed to a looming US rate rise and UK public sector finances disappointed. Tesco was the [...]
Keeping pace with programmatic: Ooyala’s Scott Braley explains how broadcasters and publishers can monetise better May 16, 2016 Programmatic trading is fast overhauling the online video advertising market. According to SpotX, 23 per cent of the UK’s video ads were programmatic last year. By 2020, this figure is forecast to reach 60 per cent. Better access to consumer data is allowing brands and their agencies to choose impressions more carefully and bid in real-time [...]
UK house prices: Who’s building Britain’s houses and can we really build 200,000 homes a year? November 26, 2015 How can the UK build more houses? [custom id="102"] Source: Data.gov all housing completions 1949 – 2013 The Conservatives came to power on the back of an improving economy and with the promise of more improvement to come. One area of the UK’s financial future that is far from secure is the housing sector. [...]
High stamp duty on prime property may prove self-defeating for the government October 2, 2015 In the days that followed the Conservative Party victory in May, the widely-held assumption was that normal service would resume at the prime end of the London housing market with double-digit annual growth. It was a proposition that never looked likely for several reasons, the principal one being a rise in stamp duty last [...]
Shared ownership’s time has come so here’s six ideas to help home buyers in the high cost capital November 9, 2015 There is an iconic image of the Patterson family stood outside their house with Margaret Thatcher. The first people to purchase their home under Right to Buy in 1980, Thatcher delivered the deeds herself. Right to Buy is back in the news, with the government striking an agreement to extend the scheme to housing [...]