New London homes sales hit record high as UK buyers return August 5, 2013 RETURNING confidence in the UK housing market has led to a jump in the number of Britons buying new homes off-plan, figures out today show. Domestic buyers accounted for 57 per cent of purchasers in the first half of 2013 compared with 47 per cent in the first half of 2012, according to research by [...]
Economists tell Carney to hike interest rates in 2014 April 2, 2014 THE BRITISH economy is in danger of overheating if interest rates are not increased this year, which could lead to a new boom and bust cycle, economists warned yesterday. The UK’s rapid recovery has pushed down unemployment so rapidly that there is little spare capacity left, according to Legal and General’s James Carrick. If nothing [...]
London is booming. We must allow it to fulfil its true potential May 15, 2014 WE all know that London emerged from the crisis remarkably unscathed. But few realise just how well our great city has performed over the past 15 years, and how we have grown faster than almost all comparable metropolises since the recession. In 1997, London boasted 1.59m employee jobs in office-based sectors. Today, the number is [...]
Focus on… Putney: Great pubs and riverside blues April 10, 2014 EVERY year the Oxford and Cambridge boat race serves as a useful reminder that London riverside living isn’t all about steel, glass and gleaming tower blocks. The race takes the rowers on a tour of some of the most coveted residential areas in London, from the picturesque riverside pubs of Fulham to the bijou balconied [...]
Shoppers saving up for luxuries at the expense of essential items March 10, 2014 SHOPPERS are splashing out on feel-good buys such as eating out and clothes rather than essential items as the recovery takes hold. Meanwhile spending on DIY is booming as the housing market continues to climb. Data from Barclaycard, which processes nearly half of the UK’s debit and credit transactions, found restaurant and clothing sales were [...]
Housing recovery boosts profit at builders merchant Travis Perkins February 26, 2014 TRAVIS Perkins enjoyed a 12.4 per cent rise in profits last year as the recovery in the housing market helped boost building activity in the UK. Adjusted profit before tax rose to £321m for the year to 31 December while earnings per share were up 14.3 per cent to 103.6p, ahead of analysts forecasts. Revenue [...]
Bank cheers Budget’s focus on saving as UK confidence swells March 24, 2014 LLOYDS Bank has backed the recent Budget’s focus on savings, as the group records the strongest consumer confidence in at least three years. Lloyds’ latest spending power report suggests that the number of people saving some of their income has risen by a third since May last year. The bank’s headline figure for consumer confidence [...]
What you need to know before the open April 10, 2014 Not much in the way of surprises from last night’s Fed meeting minutes. It seems officials are not in any hurry to raise rates, and markets rebounded on the news. The sell-off seen earlier in the week, though, seems to have been because of worries over pricey valuations, rather than rates concerns. According to the [...]
Surveyors say house shortage is lifting prices February 12, 2014 A SHORTAGE of homes is forcing up house prices across the whole of the UK, according to a leading survey published this morning. The alarming figures follow a separate data release yesterday which showed mortgage-lenders ramping up loans to first-time buyers who are anxious to get on the housing ladder. Demand in the market appears [...]
In the driver’s seat: Why today’s IT departments are moving from back office to front-line services May 14, 2014 IT’S HARDLY surprising that today’s IT departments are feeling the strain. Technology has become more than just a back office tool – it is a disruptive force, offering those businesses with the ability and vision to effectively harness it huge competitive advantage. In just one example, a 2013 report by the RSA and sponsored by [...]