Hosting World Cup could give £3.2bn to UK May 12, 2010 THE economy would be £3.2bn better off if England hosts the 2018 football World Cup, according to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Business leaders including Sir Alan Sugar cited the findings yesterday as they backed the bid. Sugar from BBC1’s The Apprentice and British Airways chief Willie Walsh said winning the bid to hold the tournament [...]
House price gains set to be wiped out July 18, 2010 ALL the gains seen in property prices over the past six months will be wiped out by the end of the year, thanks to more aggressive pricing and an increase in the number of houses coming on to the market, property website Rightmove will say today. The forecast forms part of its monthly survey of [...]
House price gains set to be wiped out July 18, 2010 ALL the gains seen in property prices over the past six months will be wiped out by the end of the year, thanks to more aggressive pricing and an increase in the number of houses coming on to the market, property website Rightmove will say today. The forecast forms part of its monthly survey of [...]
Political uncertainty unnerves consumers April 14, 2010 THE impending general election and the recent Budget have caused British consumers to lose confidence in both the current economic situation and their expectations for the coming year, the Nationwide consumer confidence survey will show today. According to the monthly report, the overall index fell by nine points to 72 last month from 81 in [...]
Barratt profit on target as house sales rise May 12, 2010 HOUSEBUILDER Barratt Developments said it will deliver a profit in the second half as it reported improved sales rates since February. The UK’s third largest housebuilder by market value, said its average selling price is expected to rise by 15 per cent by June 30, thanks to a shift in the type of houses being [...]
Hobbycraft bought out for £100m April 29, 2010 THE private equity firm Bridgepoint Capital has bought Hobbycraft, the family owned arts and crafts retailer, in a deal worth around £100m. Bridgepoint beat off competition from private equity firm Exponent and retailer Halfords. Blackstone had expressed interest, but did not submit a bid in time for the deadline. Hobbycraft started out as one store [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS May 6, 2010 CHELSEA OFFERS FIRST ONLINE ACCOUNT Chelsea Building Society has launched its first ever online account, the e-Saver Reward. The account, which pays monthly interest of 2.57 per cent (2.60 per cent AER), is available to UK residents aged 16 and over and has a minimum deposit of £1. Withdrawals can be made online with only [...]
Greek unions prepare for two-day walkout over austerity package May 3, 2010 GREECE’S notoriously militant unions will today take up arms again in the fight against EU-agreed austerity measures to shore up its battered finances, doubling the length of a nationwide protest strike to two days. The main public sector union, ADEDY, yesterday added to fears over the success of the €110bn (£95.2bn) bailout, as it said [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS May 27, 2010 MORTGAGES FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS The Yorkshire Building Society this week launched a new range of mortgages for first time buyers. The products have no up-front product fees and £500 cashback. You can also borrow up to 85 per cent of the value of the property. Borrowers will also get a free standard valuation and free [...]
The bike and car parts retailer who wants to own Britain on the move June 20, 2010 Halfords and its chief executive David Wild are having a good recession. Earlier this month, the bikes and car maintenance retail chain posted a strong set of full-year figures: pre-tax profits rose 42 per cent to £110m, while sales rose three per cent to £832m. The FTSE 250 business said the trend for healthy living [...]