London house prices dropped in 2017: This is how the experts reacted January 4, 2018 London house prices fell last year for the first time since the financial crisis, and the capital was the worst performing UK region for property price growth for the first time in 13 years. House prices in the capital dropped by 0.5 per cent in 2017, according to the most recent Nationwide house price index, [...]
Brent crude oil rises above $68 a barrel for the first time since 2015 lifting shares in BP and Shell January 4, 2018 Oil prices rose to fresh two-and-a-half-year highs today with Brent crude oil climbing above $68 a barrel, on geopolitical tensions in Iran and a tighter market. Brent crude futures rose to $68.27 a barrel this morning, a high not seen since May 2015, before edging down slightly to $68.18 a barrel at the time of [...]
Petrol prices have risen to a three-year high – and they’re expected to keep going up in 2018 January 4, 2018 Petrol prices have risen to their highest level in three years on the back of strengthening oil prices, and they’re set to keep going up throughout the year. The average price of petrol increased for the second month in a row in December to the highest point since December 2014, rising from 120.66p to 121.11p, [...]
Place your bets and prepare for a year of Brexit breakthroughs January 4, 2018 The Brexit rollercoaster ride began in March 2017 when Theresa May triggered Article 50, starting the formal process for the UK to leave the EU. There have been thrills and spills, highs and lows, but the year ended well, with an agreement that talks could move to the next stage. On 14 December, the European [...]
Rise of the robots: Automation risk to more jobs as minimum wage increases warns IFS January 4, 2018 Higher minimum wage levels could tempt British employers to automate more jobs, risking a rise in unemployment, respected economists at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) will today warn. In research to be published today, the IFS will call for “extremely careful monitoring” of the effects of government increases to the minimum wage as more [...]
Arsenal 2, Chelsea 2: Hector Bellerin strikes late to snatch a point but Gunners boss Arsene Wenger rages at refereeing again January 3, 2018 Arsenal 2, Chelsea 2 Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger resumed his attack on refereeing standards despite seeing his team snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat in a thrilling Premier League derby with Chelsea. Wing-back Hector Bellerin conjured a 92nd-minute equaliser after the visitors had responded to midfielder Jack Wilshere’s opener with goals from forward [...]
City adviser Numis’ co-chief executives share £2.5m bonus – but one takes home more January 3, 2018 The co-chief executives of Numis shared a £2.5m bonus last year – but one took home £500,000 more than the other. Alex Ham and Ross Mitchinson took over from Numis founder Oliver Hemsley in 2016. The pair earn a base salary of £350,000 each, but in the year to September, Ham pocketed a £1.5m bonus, [...]
Tottenham Hotspur v AFC Wimbledon: Dons on a high as opportunity knocks for FA Cup giant-killing at Wembley January 3, 2018 There is an air of contentment at AFC Wimbledon. An upturn in form, the green light to begin constructing their new stadium and the stardust of Sunday’s FA Cup clash with Tottenham at Wembley has left even the club’s perennially grounded chief executive Erik Samuelson smiling. Although the threat of relegation lingers – The Dons [...]
Poundland just had its best Christmas ever January 3, 2018 It seems those questionable elf ads did the trick, for Poundland just had its best Christmas since it began trading in 1990, it said today. The bargain retailer said like for like sales in the three weeks to Christmas rose six per cent, while sales in the week before Christmas were 20 per cent higher [...]
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) nets £150m in sale of Lombard asset finance unit to Investec and Shawbrook January 3, 2018 Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has sold the offshore operations of its asset finance lender Lombard to Investec and Shawbrook. RBS will net around £150m from selling off its Channel Islands operations of the lender, which was founded in 1861. Investec and Shawbrook will split the Jersey and Guernsey assets division between them, although the [...]