UK consumer upbeat about rest of year July 7, 2009 BRITISH consumers are feeling increasingly positive and confidence levels are now close to those recorded last year, according the Nationwide consumer confidence index published today. The index rose to 58 from 54 in May, compared to a reading of 59 in June last year. Consumer expectations for the economic situation in six months time were [...]
House dip to last two more years August 2, 2009 THE HOUSE price slump will continue apace this year and next, according to a starkly bearish annual forecast from the National Housing Federation (NHF) released today. In a gloomy report the group has warned of a sharp 12.2 per cent fall in total in England during this year, and a further 4.6 per cent fall [...]
Higher mortgage rates are here to stay July 12, 2009 SO Nationwide is offering a mortgage that will allow some of its customers suffering from negative equity to move homes. So far, so mundane – but the loan will be worth 125 per cent of the value of the new property. I spent an hour debating this with David Kuo of Motley Fool, the popular [...]
One in four struggle to save due to economic turbulence June 18, 2009 ONE in four people in the UK are unable to put any of their income into savings due to the ongoing financial crisis, new statistics from Nationwide revealed yesterday. The UK’s largest building society said in its Saving Index that 26 per cent of consumers are unable to save their money, while less than half [...]
North-South housing price divide widens July 26, 2009 THE chasm between house prices in the north and south of England widened in the month of July despite nationwide figures remaining broadly static, according to the latest Hometrack housing market survey. Overall house prices remained unchanged for a third consecutive month, Hometrack said. But among the 10 per cent of postcodes which did report [...]
North-South housing price divide widens July 26, 2009 THE chasm between house prices in the north and south of England widened in the month of July despite nationwide figures remaining broadly static, according to the latest Hometrack housing market survey. Overall house prices remained unchanged for a third consecutive month, Hometrack said. But among the 10 per cent of postcodes which did report [...]
Wm Morrison wins OFT approval for deal to purchase 30 Co-operative stores July 12, 2009 WM MORRISON yesterday got the green light from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for its acquisition of 30 stores from Co-operative Group. The shops being acquired will increase the size of the Morrison’s estate by about 10 per cent. Morrison has had to wait for OFT approval since the deal was first announced to [...]
Consumer confidence improving June 2, 2009 CONSUMER confidence in the UK enjoyed its biggest rise in almost two years during April, according to Nationwide. The UK’s largest mutual said its consumer confidence index rose eight points to reach 50 in April, with 26 per cent of survey respondents saying they expect the economic situation to be better in six months time. [...]
Results season begins as BT and National Express report July 26, 2009 THE company reporting season gets into full swing this week, with a slew of companies issuing numbers including BP, Shell and BT to name just three FTSE 100 giants. National Express, the rail and coach operator that recently became a takeover target after losing its franchise for the East Coast main line, reports on Thursday [...]
House prices see surprise jump in May June 4, 2009 HOUSE prices unexpectedly rose by 2.6 per cent in May at their fastest monthly rate since October 2002, according to Halifax’s house price survey released yesterday, although economists warned that house prices still had some way to go before bottoming out. Last month’s rise soundly beat analysts’ expectations of a fall of one per cent [...]