Grafton keen on further growth after switching Irish roots for UK listing October 20, 2013 Gavin Slark, boss of the builders’ merchant, tells Kasmira Jefford what’s next for his company WHEN Gavin Slark was handed the toolbox and made chief executive of the Irish-based builders merchant two years ago, Grafton was in dire need of repairs. The global financial crisis had all but flattened the UK and Ireland’s construction market [...]
London Report: GDP figures and housing prices reveal recovery October 20, 2013 GROSS domestic product (GDP) figures due on Friday are expected to reveal the UK’s solid recovery prospects, coupled with further good news from Nationwide and Rightmove housing figures earlier in the week. Analysts predict further improvement in the economy, with third quarter GDP expected to rise. “We expect GDP to rise 0.8 per cent quarter-on-quarter. [...]
Why bank data transparency could lead to a better functioning market December 18, 2013 FEW would find it hard to spot the difference between Stoke Newington and Salford. It’s certainly more than 200 miles that divides the North London district and the regenerating Manchester borough, now home to the BBC’s MediaCityUK. But earlier this week, banks published figures showing that both these places are hotspots for small and medium-sized [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 12 November 2013 November 12, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Shadow banks reap Fed rate reward Loosely regulated non-bank lenders have emerged as among the biggest beneficiaries of the Federal Reserve’s ultra-low interest rates with three specialist categories increasing their assets by almost 60 per cent since the height of the financial crisis. Such lenders, widely considered part of the “shadow banking” system, [...]
Running your personal best time through the rainforest April 13, 2014 The day after the London Marathon, Kasmira Jefford tells us where to head for the next race IT IS is not yet eight in the morning but already the heat and humidity is cloying as I run down the long, red-earth road that skirts the south side of the Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap, [...]
GDP grows at fastest pace in three years, but is it sustainable? October 25, 2013 Despite latest GDP estimates showing the fastest pace of growth in over three years, analysts are questioning whether such a pace can be sustained.The UK saw GDP rise 0.8 per cent this morning, but this is still 2.5 per cent behind its pre-crisis peak, and means we have some catching up to do with the [...]
Firms projecting exports boost for UK economy October 16, 2013 EXPORTERS in the UK are now at their most confident since the financial crisis, boosting the outlook for the country’s trade in the months ahead. According to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and DHL’s quarterly report, released today, 69 per cent of exporters expect rising turnover in the fourth quarter of this year, the [...]
$1.6 trillion: The shocking amount governments have gained from quantitative easing November 13, 2013 HALF a decade of rock-bottom interest rates and loose monetary policy have delivered an astonishing windfall to governments around the world, dramatic new research released today reveals. By contrast, older savers with significant assets have been hammered, losing out on huge amounts of interest. Younger households, which are net borrowers have benefitted. While contrary to [...]
Osborne sticks to £50 pledge on energy bills December 5, 2013 CUSTOMERS will save around £50 on their energy bills through green policy reforms, the government confirmed in yesterday’s Autumn Statement. Some green levies will be reduced or shifted into taxation and three new energy-saving schemes will be implemented as part of the policy overhaul. “The government cannot control the price of energy in the global [...]
Bottom Line: Tale of two cities for foreign cash October 8, 2013 FOR A while now it’s been clear that prime central London almost deserves its own, ringfenced place on the map. House prices in the area – initially defined as Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Chelsea but often spreading further – have increased by 116 per cent in the last eight years according to recent research, massively outperforming [...]