UK house prices may be slowing, but October was the best month for new houses since 2011 November 28, 2014 UK house prices may be waning, but October was the strongest month for new housing in the UK since 2011. According to data from the National House Building Council (NHBC), 13,950 new homes were registered this October, beating every month since June 2011, when 14,565 homes were registered. Of this month's registrations, 11,151 were private sector; [...]
Barratt Developments sees property sales and completions jump in first half January 14, 2015 Sales at residential property company Barratt Developments jumped by 17 per cent in the six months to 31 December, up to £1.68bn from £1.44bn in the first half of the 2014 financial year. Completions also increased, improving from 6,195 to 6,971. Of the total number of completions, 1,149 were in the affordable housing sector, which [...]
How London is leading the charge on a radical employee rent scheme February 5, 2015 Two years ago, Vodafone became one of the first big businesses to issue a warning over Britain’s housing costs. It said that the sheer cost of renting was making it harder for firms to attract talent. Within weeks, its concerns were echoed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and KPMG’s London Business Survey. London’s [...]
Chinese boom fuels jump in global deals March 29, 2015 A wave of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is on the way this year, driving a hiring boom in the City and shaking up industries across the globe. A combination of ultra-low interest rates and increasing confidence in the economy has encouraged firms to buy up rivals. And firms which see little room for organic growth [...]
Carillion picks up £1.5bn contract as order book grows March 4, 2015 The figures Carillion's pre-tax profit jumped by 29 per cent in 2014 to £142.6m, on revenue of £4.1bn, which remained flat on the previous year. For the full year to the end of December, underlying pre-tax profit slipped slightly to £173m, down one per cent, taking into account "the planned reduction in the sale of equity [...]
Income alternatives: Where should you look for income in your portfolio? April 23, 2015 Once upon a time, bonds could always be relied upon to deliver a consistent fixed income. Sadly, those days are long gone, and now most bonds pay a miserly return – with some even in negative territory. But income is still useful for many investors. We asked the experts to name their top alternatives. COMMERCIAL [...]
Treasury official Sharon White takes top Ofcom job December 17, 2014 Ofcom has appointed Treasury official Sharon White as its new chief executive. White will join the broadcasting watchdog late March next year, taking over from Ed Richards, who will step down at the end of December. She picks up an annual salary of £275,000. She is currently the second permanent secretary at the Treasury, [...]
Landlords should not be the scapegoats for uninventive politicians February 8, 2015 If you’re a landlord, you could be forgiven for feeling like the ills of the world are being laid at your door. The Tories held landlords responsible for stemming illegal immigration, making passport and identity checks a legal requirement before any tenancy agreement can be signed. Labour enlisted them in the fight against climate change [...]
Derwent buys Angel Square November 24, 2014 Derwent London stepped up its presence to the capital’s fast-growing tech sector after buying Angel Square in Islington for £75.03m. The property developer, which is developing the huge White Collar Factory office scheme at Old Street’s “Silicon” roundabout, said yesterday the three buildings complemented its other assets in the area, including the Angel Building opposite. [...]
RBS to put Aldgate office block up for sale with £90m price tag November 27, 2014 The Royal Bank of Scotland is close to putting one of its office buildings in Aldgate up for sale, as it looks to cut costs and tap into booming demand for property in London’s Tech City area. The bank has lined up agents at DTZ to sell Aldgate Union on Whitechapel High Street, with offers [...]