Grosvenor hit by £500m fall in its portfolio April 15, 2010 THE value of the Duke of Westminster’s property portfolio slumped by £500m last year, following plummeting housing prices during the recession. His property group, Grosvenor, which is renowned for its ownership of palatial properties in Belgravia and Mayfair, saw the value of its estate tumble to £5.22bn from £6.17bn in 2008. The group reported a [...]
ING UK REIT agrees offer for Rugby REIT April 15, 2010 ING UK Real Estate Income Trust (REIT), led by chairman Nick Thompson, yesterday agreed an offer for Rugby Estates Investment Trust (Rugby REIT), The cash offered for Rugby REIT of 63p per share is a significant improvement on the 41p offered by Laxey Partners in November last year which failed to secure shareholder support. Philip [...]
UK to bounce but Eurozone GDP subdued April 15, 2010 STRONGER growth in the world economy, the assumption of a Conservative victory at the general election and a greater response to a weak pound will boost growth in the UK economy by more than previously thought, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) will say today in its quarterly forecast. The consultancy now predicts [...]
ECB warns of global imbalance April 15, 2010 THE SOVEREIGN debt problems engulfing countries like Greece may represent the next chapter in the financial crisis, European Central Bank (ECB) executive board member Juergen Stark warned yesterday. Eurozone governments have been forced to step in and provide promises of financial aid for Greece after market fears erupted on worries it could default on its [...]
China’s meteoric growth fuels debate over policy April 15, 2010 CHINA saw strong year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 11.9 per cent, prompting renewed calls for tighter policies to prevent the world’s third-largest economy from bubbling over. The rate of expansion was flattered by a low base of comparison a year earlier, when the economy was reeling from the global financial crisis. The figures, [...]
CITY VIEWS: WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE RISKS, IF ANY, TO CHINA’S SOARING ECONOMIC GROWTH? April 15, 2010 DUNCAN JUDD | MEDITATION “I really don’t think there are any great risks. But we’ll have to see how China continues to develop, and if there is enough manpower and financial backing to develop resources. It’s up to individuals to see that the Chinese economy continues to grow.” ALAN SAUNDERS | RBS “You have to [...]
US manufacturing data cheers April 15, 2010 US manufacturers were busy in April as factories ramped up production to rebuild inventories though soft labour markets still point to a relatively slow economic recovery, data revealed yesterday. Expansion in manufacturing was highlighted by the New York Federal Reserve’s “Empire State” general business conditions index which rose to a six-month high of 31.86 in [...]
Fed to stick to low rates April 15, 2010 A top Federal Reserve official said yesterday he doesn’t believe it’s time yet to soften a Fed promise to hold benchmark borrowing costs exceptionally low for an extended period. “I’m comfortable with interest rates where they are now,” Richmond Federal Reserve Bank president Jeffrey Lacker said at a Fed symposium on credit markets.
Dubai utility reopens debt market April 15, 2010 Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has placed a $1bn, five-year bond, DEWA said yesterday, the first bond from Dubai since its debt troubles emerged. The bond will pay a semi-annual coupon of 8.5 per cent, DEWA said. Gulf firms have found it difficult to tap the debt market ever since state-owned conglomerate Dubai World [...]
Bank stakes sale is on hold, insists UKFI April 15, 2010 UK Financial Investments (UKFI) is adamant it will not start selling down the taxpayer’s stakes in RBS and Lloyds ahead of the general election, preferring to add value by biding its time than to make a quick buck at a time of widespread uncertainty. Speculation has been rife over recent weeks that UKFI could be [...]