Crest Nicholson raises targets as profits surge June 16, 2015 CREST Nicholson has ramped up its housebuilding targets after reporting a leap in first-half profits, buoyed by an improving market and a Conservative election win. The housebuilder said it plans to build 4,000 more homes and generate £1.4bn of revenue by 2019 after refocusing its London arm towards more affordable areas such as Peckham and [...]
M&G Investment provides £40m loan for 400 south east homes April 12, 2015 M&G INVESTMENTS has agreed to provide an east London housing association with a £40m loan as part of its expansion into the UK housing sector. The pension fund manager said the 30-year loan to Estuary would help build 400 homes over the next three years. Half the homes will be built in London boroughs while [...]
Fintech is booming – but where are the insurance tech startups? September 17, 2015 As a technology investor, I spend my days scouring Europe in search of the next big thing. London’s fintech scene has been a profitable hunting ground of late. With the UK fintech industry generating $20bn in revenue annually, it is not surprising that $5.4bn has been invested in British fintech companies since 2010. [...]
Sir Howard Davies grilled over Airports Commission’s Heathrow runway decision July 15, 2015 Chair of the Airports Commission Sir Howard Davies explained the decision to recommend a Heathrow expansion in front of a Lords Selec Committee. Read more: Gatwick attacks "flawed" Heathrow expansion report The Commission's long-awaited report somewhat controversially recommended building a new runway at Heathrow as opposed to Gatwick as the "clear and unanimous" decision. Davies' report, [...]
City Moves for 06 July 2015 | Who’s switching jobs July 5, 2015 SEI The investment firm has appointed Andrew Booker as head of sales within its private banking business. He joins from Brown Brothers Harriman & Co, where he held roles in sales, relationship management and strategic planning. Booker has also held senior roles at JP Morgan Private Bank. Countrywide Samantha Tyrer has been appointed managing director [...]
Five FinTech startups to watch: RBS, Lloyds and American Express back finance innovation June 17, 2015 Five tech startups seeking to disrupt the financial industry have caught the eye of some of the world's leading firms in the sector. A savings app, a company using visual cryptography to create secure passwords and a real-time sales platform for local businesses are just three of the winners in the search for startups creating [...]
Britain’s anti-immigration arms race could make the housing crisis worse April 16, 2015 With the polls still tight, the battle between the two main political parties over who has the strongest policy on controlling immigration is reaching its peak. Yet the contest to be crowned toughest on immigration threatens to jeopardise efforts to address one of the other big issues of the election campaign – the chronic shortage [...]
Buying new build homes in bulk? It’s big business if you can get it June 25, 2015 Steady yourselves – block buyers are back. I’ve noticed this trend as I’ve been more involved in residential developments and investments recently and there’s a feeling out there that they’ve returned in numbers. Unlike the last time block buyers abounded – which was in the run up to the last peak in 2007 – current [...]
Don’t write off startups as a threat to your company: Collaboration benefits all June 25, 2015 Digital disruption is snapping at the heels of London’s corporates. Many are only just waking up to the fact that tech startups like Zoopla, Skype and Funding Circle – all less than 10 years old and bred in the capital – have become billion dollar “unicorn” companies, rewriting the rules of whole industries. In [...]
Barratt Developments boss Mark Clare warns Tories over housing May 13, 2015 The boss of Britain’s biggest housebuilder has called on the new Tory government to accelerate its sell-off of public sector land in order to help solve the country’s housing crisis. Mark Clare, the chief of Barratt Developments, said the election outcome ushered in a “positive political and economic environment” for housing, with the Conservatives [...]