Boris slams plans for property tax as stamp duty hits market November 19, 2012 BORIS JOHNSON yesterday slammed Liberal Democrat politicians who are calling for property tax hikes, while urging Google and other companies criticised for tax avoidance to do more to benefit the UK. “It is absurd to be suddenly whacking up taxes on cash-poor people who happen to inhabit expensive houses in London when firms like Google [...]
High-frequency trading does not boost volatility October 22, 2012 High-frequency trading (HFT) technology does not heighten market volatility or open the door to increased market abuse, according to a government report out today. The technique – which now accounts for a third of all UK equity trading – uses algorithms to make large numbers of trades and enables investors to profit from split-second moves [...]
A Romney victory could heighten China tensions October 22, 2012 FX360 WITH the US presidential election looming, the subject of employment and the health of America’s economy has predictably been high on the agenda. With the country’s manufacturing base suffering, there is a swathe of US voters looking for someone to blame for the unsettling situation. The Republican challenger Mitt Romney has pointed the finger [...]
A Romney victory could heighten China tensions October 22, 2012 FX360 WITH the US presidential election looming, the subject of employment and the health of America’s economy has predictably been high on the agenda. With the country’s manufacturing base suffering, there is a swathe of US voters looking for someone to blame for the unsettling situation. The Republican challenger Mitt Romney has pointed the finger [...]
UK’s priciest home for sale September 13, 2012 BRITAIN’S most expensive house on the market has no garden – but it is across the road from Hyde Park. The London mansion of the late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri has been quietly marketed to the wealthiest househunters in the world by a small team of runners for several months. The 60,000 square foot [...]
Maybe it’s because you’re a Londoner: The capital is optimistic about prices September 9, 2012 Take a step back before deciding if your glass is half full or empty IT IS often hard to move for the number of property analysts discussing price movements in the housing market. But what do UK households think? The Knight Frank/Markit House Price Sentiment index sets out to answer that question. Every month, we [...]
Our at-a-glance guide to Osborne’s mini-Budget December 5, 2012 THE UK ECONOMIC OUTLOOK ■ The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has revised down its forecast for UK growth and revised up its forecast for public sector borrowing. It says the government is no longer likely to meet its target of reducing debt as a proportion of GDP in 2015-16, breaking its supplementary fiscal rule. [...]
The Tipster | Builder to cement profits October 15, 2012 HOUSE builder Bellway reports today, and traders expect to see profits up as it capitalises on a turnaround in UK housing. The company has focused heavily on homes with renewable energy sources, which has proven to be lucrative. Shares are towards the top of its 52-week range and have risen 40 per cent in the [...]
Crest Nicholson mulls return to stock market September 20, 2012 CREST Nicholson, one of the UK’s biggest housebuilders, is mulling a return to the stock market five years after it was taken over during the housing crisis as it looks to take advantage of returning optimism in the housebuilding sector. A source familiar with the company told City A.M that a flotation was one of [...]
Crest Nicholson mulls return to stock market September 20, 2012 CREST Nicholson, one of the UK’s biggest housebuilders, is mulling a return to the stock market five years after it was taken over during the housing crisis as it looks to take advantage of returning optimism in the housebuilding sector. A source familiar with the company told City A.M that a flotation was one of [...]