Cameron says Eurozone crisis is “chilling” UK November 21, 2011 Prime Minister David Cameron will warn today that the crisis in the Eurozone is having a “chilling effect” on the UK economy, even as he sets out plans to spend £400m to kick-start growth. The government’s growth drive, which will focus on funding new housing, is likely to be one of many announced in coming [...]
Wimpey says sales solid for autumn November 7, 2011 HOMEBUILDER Taylor Wimpey said trading in the busy autumn selling period had been stable and it is on track to meet margin targets. The UK’s second-largest volume housebuilder by market value said its current order book for future completions stood at 6,265 homes, against 5,496 homes at the same point last year. The group is [...]
Property firm St Modwen sees big year December 1, 2011 PROPERTY regeneration company St Modwen expects its full-year results to buck the economic downturn, coming in at the upper end of forecasts. The company, which owns the Elephant and Castle and Edmonton Green shopping centres in London, said in a trading update that sales and buyer interest in its new sites have both been high, [...]
LSE buys FTSE to win control of key assets December 12, 2011 THE London Stock Exchange took total control of stock index provider FTSE International yesterday, by buying Pearson’s 50 per cent stake for £450m. The move cements the LSE’s hold over the FTSE’s 200,000 indices and global, high growth trajectory. It also puts it in control of a critical piece of trading infrastructure as it seeks [...]
LSE buys FTSE to win control of key assets December 12, 2011 THE London Stock Exchange took total control of stock index provider FTSE International yesterday, by buying Pearson’s 50 per cent stake for £450m. The move cements the LSE’s hold over the FTSE’s 200,000 indices and global, high growth trajectory. It also puts it in control of a critical piece of trading infrastructure as it seeks [...]
CVC in a £4bn bid for RBS’s insurance arm October 30, 2011 PRIVATE equity house CVC Capital Partners is believed to have made a £4bn bid for the insurance arm of Royal Bank of Scotland. The bank was forced by the EU to begin a sale of RBS Insurance (RBSI), which trades as Direct Line and Churchill, after receiving a taxpayer bailout in 2008. CVC is believed [...]
Downgrade bombshell puts brakes on FTSE gains December 6, 2011 The brakes were slammed on the recovery in European markets this morning after ratings agency Standard and Poor’s warned 15 Eurozone countries – including Germany – that they were teetering on the edge of a downgrade. Asian stocks and the euro fell after S&P piled pressure on a plan to solve the region’s debt crisis [...]
Downgrade bombshell puts brakes on FTSE gains December 6, 2011 The brakes were slammed on the recovery in European markets this morning after ratings agency Standard and Poor’s warned 15 Eurozone countries – including Germany – that they were teetering on the edge of a downgrade. Asian stocks and the euro fell after S&P piled pressure on a plan to solve the region’s debt crisis [...]
SELL November 24, 2011 MANAGING DIRECTOR OF KAY & CO, CENTRAL LONDON ESTATE AGENCY Q.I’m about to put my house on the market – how long should I expect it to take me to sell my home? A.This is a tricky question to answer as time scales vary dramatically. However, on balance, in order to allow for a full [...]
Hugo Boss results defy the gloom November 2, 2011 HUGO BOSS, the German fashion house, posted a better-than-expected rise in third quarter profits yesterday, as the luxury sector continued to defy the effects of the global economic slowdown. The business, which is majority owned by the private equity firm Permira, reported a 30 per cent rise in bottom-line profit to €119.7m (£103.1m) in the [...]