UK housing transactions soar in ‘sprint finish’ before stamp duty holiday extension March 23, 2021 UK housing transactions soared last month in a “sprint finish” to get deals completed before the initial stamp duty holiday deadline. Residential transactions in the UK were 45.5 per cent higher than February last year and 23 per cent up on January’s levels at 147,050, according to the latest HM Revenue and Customs data. The [...]
UK to launch four regional trade hubs in bid to aid Covid recovery March 23, 2021 The government is creating four regional trade and investment hubs to lift economic growth across the UK. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said on Tuesday that the hubs would be in Belfast, Cardiff, Darlington and Edinburgh. The government said they will provide support to help regional businesses to access major trade markets and boost exports. [...]
Crest Nicholson hikes profit expectations as UK housing market remains ‘resilient’ March 23, 2021 Crest Nicholson has hiked its profit expectations for the year, saying the UK housing market has remained “resilient” to the impact of Covid-19. The UK housebuilder said profit before tax for the year ended 31 October 2021 is expected to be around £85m, up from previous expectations of £74.3m. Crest Nicholson’s share price jumped 4.1 [...]
City living: Most popular London postcodes for house hunters revealed March 22, 2021 While many Londoners have left the city during the pandemic, seeking better value for money and more outdoor space, the capital’s property market has remained active with buyers still targeting central locations. South London boroughs have been the most popular with buyers since the beginning of the first lockdown, according to the latest research, with [...]
City A.M. TV: Daily Market Snapshot (video) March 22, 2021 City A.M. TV: Daily Market Snapshot (video)
CMA investigates publisher Penguin’s $2.2bn takeover of Simon & Schuster March 22, 2021 The competition watchdog is investigating if the $2.18bn takeover of Simon & Schuster by publisher Penguin Random House may hurt competition. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has until 19 May to decide whether to refer the merger to a more in-depth ‘phase two’ investigation, A spokesperson for Penguin Random House said: “We announced last November that Penguin Random [...]
Is Sadiq Khan’s re-election as London Mayor inevitable? March 22, 2021 On Thursday 6 May, Londoners will go to the polls. Or, more likely, many won’t; turnout last time was 45 per cent to elect a new mayor, or else confirm the incumbent in office. This is the largest single exercise in democracy the UK has, excepting referendums, with an electorate of around five and a [...]
Tory MPs to rebel over plans to extend Covid powers until September March 21, 2021 The government has come under fire from Tory MPs for unveiling plans to extend emergency Covid enforcement powers in England for another six months. Legislation will be brought to the House of Commons by Boris Johnson on Thursday to extend police powers to ban protests, shut down ports and detain citizens for not following Covid [...]
Exclusive: Texas law firm Vinson & Elkins on half a century in London March 20, 2021 Texan law firm Vinson & Elkins just celebrated 50 years in London, having set up shop in the capital in 1971 to take advantage of the booming oil and gas industry, after oil was discovered in the North Sea. The firm began its London life with two English lawyers working in temporary space near Piccadilly [...]
Fiery Sri Lankan and 36 other restaurant-in-a-box delivery kits March 19, 2021 Almost a year since the first lockdown, the restaurant world has been forced to change in ways that would have seemed laughable in the pre-Covid times. Top chefs are now launching successful at-home delivery platforms that promise to change the face of fine dining for years to come. We have sampled some of the very [...]