Hammering away at the property auction myths March 10, 2011 WITH repossessions on the rise, property auctions are a topic on everybody’s lips. While you might not be interested in a flat in Ireland, the increasing supply of homes under the hammer has certainly sparked the British public’s interest in the market. Charles Lucas, an auction expert at Chesterton & Humberts, says there are more [...]
£10bn profits top forecasts for Gazprom August 30, 2011 RUSSIAN gas export monopoly Gazprom’s quarterly profits beat analysts’ expectations yesterday as European buyers rushed to secure contracts at prices 21 per cent higher than a year ago. The company posted a 42 per cent increase in first-quarter earnings to 478.5bn roubles (£10.2bn), exceeding market expectations of a 29 per cent gain. The country’s largest [...]
Russian bank pounces for Austria’s VBI September 8, 2011 RUSSIAN lender Sberbank has snapped up Austrian multinational Volksbank International (VBI) in its second multi-million euro purchase of the year. An adviser on the deal said that it provides an example of how Western European banks are missing out on growth opportunities due to being embroiled in the region’s debt crisis. At a stroke, the [...]
Northern Rock narrows loss August 3, 2011 Nationalised lender Northern Rock posted a first-half loss of £78.8m and said it continues to work on plans for an eventual sale of the company back to the private sector. Last year it made a first-half loss of £140m, and the company said it now expects to start trading profitably some time in the second [...]
Northern Rock narrows loss August 3, 2011 Nationalised lender Northern Rock posted a first-half loss of £78.8m and said it continues to work on plans for an eventual sale of the company back to the private sector. Last year it made a first-half loss of £140m, and the company said it now expects to start trading profitably some time in the second [...]
House prices fall in London and rest of UK July 17, 2011 House prices have dropped for the first time this year, according to a well-regarded Rightmove index released this morning. Prices fell 1.6 per cent across the UK in July, with even London’s houses experiencing a 1.4 per cent dip, the figures showed. In June, the average residential property in the capital hit an all time [...]
What the other papers say this morning February 20, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS JET TRAVEL REBOUNDS AS RICH SPLASH OUT FOR PRIVACY Private jet travel, shunned in the recession as a sign of ostentation, is recovering in a further sign that the world’s richest people are spending more freely again. The number of business flights – which includes celebrity, state and business hire – grew [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING August 22, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES LLOYDS LOOKS TO EASE DISPOSAL Lloyds Banking Group is in early talks with the City regulator about easing the capital burden for prospective buyers of some of its branches in an effort to remove one of the biggest obstacles to the sale. It hopes to pave the way for a bidder to qualify [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING August 22, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES LLOYDS LOOKS TO EASE DISPOSAL Lloyds Banking Group is in early talks with the City regulator about easing the capital burden for prospective buyers of some of its branches in an effort to remove one of the biggest obstacles to the sale. It hopes to pave the way for a bidder to qualify [...]
Profits double at Persimmon as sales falter March 1, 2011 HOUSEBUILDER Persimmon warned yesterday that the weak mortgage market will continue to dampen sales this year, after almost doubling its pre-tax profit to £153.9m in 2010. While Persimmon sold 4.5 per cent more homes last year, the firm said completions tailed off towards the end of 2010 amid a tough mortgage market and economic fears. [...]