Opinion: Should Philip Hammond scrap stamp duty or reform it? Either way, these first time buyers think something has to be done November 17, 2017 Scrap stamp duty – revenue should not come at the expense of working people by Jack Brentnall Benjamin Franklin famously said that our only certainties in life are death and taxes. Thankfully, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) does not have to be such a certainty. Considering the context of the current housing crisis, it is [...]
London housing market bearish in face of Brexit, chartered surveyors say April 11, 2019 Sentiment among London’s chartered surveyors is among the worst in the country, with house prices expected to fall in the capital over the next year, new figures show. In a poll of its members, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) found London and the South East were the only two parts of the country [...]
Deutsche Telekom lifts guidance as Sprint merger boosts revenue August 13, 2020 Deutsche Telekom today increased its guidance for the full year after the $23bn (£17.6bn) merger between T-Mobile and Sprint boosted second-quarter revenue. The figures Deutsche Telekom posted revenue of €27bn (£24.4bn) in the second quarter, up 20 per cent on the same period last year. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization after leases jumped [...]
Tech stocks – slow-down or slump? July 27, 2021 With the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating the shift towards a digital-first world; technology stocks rose to all-time highs in 2020, as people spent more time online.1 However, as economies have begun to reopen following the rollout of highly effective coronavirus vaccines; tech stocks sold-off as investors rotated towards sectors set to benefit from reopening. In this [...]
Exclusive: City’s venture capital guru on Brexit, ESG fundraising and impact investing August 31, 2021 With Brexit just behind us, and the pandemic gradually being brought under control, it seemed like a good time to measure the temperature of London’s venture capital investment space. City A.M. sat down with David Hall, for his first major interview as chairman of the Venture Capital Trust Association, since succeeding Stuart Veale in January [...]
Autumn Budget 2017: Where first-time buyers will find the biggest stamp duty savings after it’s scrapped on property under £300,000 November 22, 2017 First-time buyers are being treated by the chancellor to a helping hand (albeit small) when it comes getting on the property ladder. Philip Hammond abolished stamp duty on homes under £300,000 for them – something that is expected to help out 80 per cent of newbies. Halifax has handily calculated just how much first-time buyers [...]
Taper Tantrum 2: is there a sequel in the making? January 26, 2021 Sequels – occasionally they’re better (The Godfather Part II), but most of the time they’re worse. Often far worse (Jaws: The Revenge). As investors and economists look for the next market risks after the pandemic, some are now expecting a follow-up to 2013’s blockbusting Taper Tantrum. This sequel could even be coming to (trading) screens [...]
Car production slump continues despite signs of improvement August 27, 2020 The slump in UK car manufacturing continued in July, with just 85,000 vehicles rolling off production lines last month, over 20 per cent lower than a year ago. However, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said the figure showed a “marked improvement” on previous months as factories continued to reopen after lockdown. With [...]
Classic Golf GTIs: driving Volkswagen’s hot hatch icons January 11, 2021 The Volkswagen Golf GTI has been the benchmark hot hatch since 1975. We drive the first three generations – which is the best of the breed?
Thomas Cook relaunches as online-only firm September 16, 2020 Iconic holiday firm Thomas Cook will today relaunch as an online-only company, a year after going bust in dramatic circumstances. To start with, the new travel company will sell holidays to destinations that are on the government’s safe travel list. In November, Chinese firm Fosun, which also owns package holiday brand Club Med, acquired the [...]