UK house prices: What will happen to property values in 2021? January 16, 2021 The UK residential property market boomed in 2020, with house prices ending the year at a record high, despite the shutdown of the sector during the first coronavirus lockdown. Government measures such as the stamp duty holiday helped revitalise the market, while the lifting of lockdown restrictions prompted a surge in demand. Lockdown also inspired [...]
In memoriam: Ian Taylor 1946-2020 January 16, 2021 Ian Taylor, who died in June of last year, ran Vitol for two decades. He was well-liked in the City not just for his business acumen, but for his philanthropy – which, it was revealed last week, continued after his death. Bloomberg reported he left £1m to the Royal Opera House and significantly more than [...]
We got an expert to pick three books pefect for City A.M. readers January 15, 2021 Throughout lockdown one of the pleasures coronavirus has been unable to take away is reading. According to the Reading agency, one in three adults is reading more, rising to almost one in two 18-24 year olds. And while many of us rely on a combination of celebrity book clubs and Amazon for our recommendations, Sam [...]
Tory backbenchers warn Boris Johnson to drop lockdown soon or face leadership challenge January 14, 2021 Boris Johnson has been warned by lockdown-sceptic Tory backbenchers that he will face a leadership challenge if he does not “set out a clear plan for when our full freedoms will be restored”. Former Brexit minister Steve Baker said to a group of Tory backbenchers that “it’s inevitable the Prime Minister’s leadership will be on [...]
Taylor Wimpey orders increase by £500m despite 2020 pandemic hit January 14, 2021 Taylor Wimpey saw orders increase by £500m despite the housing market shut down, its annual performance review revealed this morning. Despite the house builder suffering during 2020, with housing completions falling nearly 40 per cent, the company started 2021 with an order book valued at £2.7bn, as opposed to their £2.2bn orders for 2019/20. “Looking [...]
What has Brexit done to property prices? January 14, 2021 The London and UK property market has, so far, remained relatively impervious to any post-Brexit related decline. Despite claims by the Bank of England that leaving the EU could see house prices fall by up to 35 per cent over three years, new research by Keller Williams UK has found that, so far, this has [...]
Before the Bell: Europe called higher as Biden is due to announce $2trn stimulus January 14, 2021 Volatility in the markets was low across the board yesterday. There was no change to the macroeconomic outlook. “Hence why trading ranges were relatively small. Equity markets in Europe and the US had muted sessions,” David Madden, market analyst at CMC Markets UK, tells City A.M. this morning. “The health crisis is still bubbling away [...]
Home buyers seek stamp duty holiday extension over missed deadline fears January 13, 2021 The majority of house hunters believe the government should extend the stamp duty holiday, with many concerned they will be unable to complete their deals before the March deadline. According to the latest research, 67 per cent of buyers would like to see the property tax break extended, with 48 per cent worried the sale [...]
Persimmon reports ‘robust trading’ and hails UK’s resilient housing market January 13, 2021 Persimmon, the UK’s biggest housebuilder, said the country’s property market had remained “resilient” despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The FTSE 100 firm reported that trading was “robust” in 2020, although revenue and new home competitions dipped due to the closure of the housing market in the first UK-wide lockdown. New home competitions reached [...]
Before the Bell: Volatility remains low but Trump faces impeachment vote January 13, 2021 Stock markets had a relatively quiet session yesterday as there wasn’t any major news to influence sentiment in one way or another. European stocks lost ground as Covid-19 case numbers played on traders’ minds. Several governments have tight restrictions in place in a bid to get a handle on the virus – which is having [...]