The housebuilder who is ready to take the long road back to recovery October 31, 2010 DESPITE the generally depressed state of the housebuilding and residential property market, Taylor Wimpey’s chief executive Peter Redfern says he is pretty pleased with business. But sitting in the boardroom of his London office, his mood appears more reflective than upbeat. “Prices are very stable at the moment,” says Redfern. “Stable is good for us. [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS August 19, 2010 LOYALTY DOESN’T ALWAYS PAY Shopping around for a cheaper quote for your car insurance really does pay off, according to research from Which?, the independent product-testing and consumer campaigning champion. It surveyed nearly 2,500 consumers and found that more than a third accepted their original car insurers’ renewal quotes because they “couldn’t be bothered to [...]
FTSE buoyed by upbeat corporate results April 26, 2011 Strong corporate results and positive broker research buoyed the FTSE today, leading the market to its highest close in more than two months. The FTSE 100 closed 0.9 per cent higher at 6.069.36 in low volumes following the long Easter weekend and ahead of a second four-day weekend to celebrate the Royal wedding and Mayday. [...]
Paragon set for a return to buy-to-let September 28, 2010 PARAGON, the buy-to-let mortgage provider, has returned to new lending after pulling out two years ago due to the global economic turmoil. Paragon chief executive Nigel Terrington said the company would specifically target professional landlords – an area of the market which it believes is underserved by buy-to-let lenders. Terrington said there were two primary [...]
US markets end up as Japan fears ease March 21, 2011 BUYERS emerged in US stocks yesterday, enticed by the biggest proposed merger of the year, though crises in Japan, the Middle East and North Africa meant market volatility would continue. The bulls have held the upper hand for three days, as the S&P 500 has put together its best three-day run since early December. The [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING April 18, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES UKRAINE’S RICHEST MAN SNAPS UP A WINDOW ON HYDE PARK FOR £136M Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine’s richest man, has bought the UK’s most expensive flat at the One Hyde Park residential development in London’s Knightsbridge. Akhmetov was behind the purchase of the penthouse, which sold for £136.6m. The identities of buyers at One Hyde [...]
BUYING February 10, 2011 Q.I am thinking of buying a buy-to-let property in central London. What type of property makes the best rental and which tenant market should I be going after? A.We tend to advise our investment clients to opt for a two double bedroom, two bathroom configuration for a rental investment. This set-up will appeal to a [...]
Rambourg is cleared after probe by FSA March 29, 2011 A YEAR ago today Guillaume Rambourg was sitting pretty in Gartmore’s Fenchurch Street offices. He was among the firm’s standout performers and one of the brightest stars in the City’s glittering constellation. Alongside Roger Guy, co-head of European hedge funds, he was responsible for more than 20 per cent of Gartmore’s £21bn investment portfolio. By [...]
Rambourg is cleared after probe by FSA March 29, 2011 A YEAR ago today Guillaume Rambourg was sitting pretty in Gartmore’s Fenchurch Street offices. He was among the firm’s standout performers and one of the brightest stars in the City’s glittering constellation. Alongside Roger Guy, co-head of European hedge funds, he was responsible for more than 20 per cent of Gartmore’s £21bn investment portfolio. By [...]
FOCUS ON: WOOLWICH, SE18 October 7, 2010 THE ACADEMY, WOOLWICH Price: Apartments in Kitchener House start at £260,000 for a two-bed. This conversion of the 18th century former Royal Military Academy has created a whole range of different-sized apartments ideal for the first-time buyer. Unusually for new-builds, the flats retain the original building’s period features. It is hoped the development will eventually [...]