US GDP growth misses expectations and puts pressure on the Fed to loosen monetary policy January 29, 2016 US economic growth missed expectations in the fourth quarter, reinforcing fears that the Federal Reserve was too hasty last month when it raised rates for the first time in almost a decade. Gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.7 per cent during the last three months of the year, the US Department of Commerce said [...]
CML warns of higher rents and a buy-to-let slowdown under Stamp Duty Land Tax proposals January 29, 2016 The new tax on second properties could lead to higher rents and a slowdown in the buy-to-let market, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). Days before HM Treasury ends its consultation period on the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) proposals, the CML has publicly criticised the plans, claiming that they will have a [...]
London house prices skyrocket at double the national rate but sales fall January 29, 2016 London house prices rose at almost double the average rate for England and Wales last year, with the average price of property in the capital now totting up to a lofty £514,097. The Land Registry’s House Price Index in December showed that the cost of getting on to the ladder in London rose by 12.4 per [...]
Eurozone inflation edges up to 0.4 per cent but is still way off the European Central Bank’s target January 29, 2016 Eurozone inflation crept up slightly to 0.4 per cent in January, but remains far from the European Central Bank’s target of just under two per cent. Consumer prices grew from a rate of 0.2 per cent in December, according to official figures from Eurostat. The services sector picked up in January, coming in at 1.2 [...]
Iron ore prices approach Rio Tinto chief executive Sam Walsh’s feared “fantasy land” level January 29, 2016 Iron ore prices are careering towards what one mining industry executive previously dismissed as “fantasy land” territory – and some analysts have warned it could fall even lower. Mining companies have been pummelled by low mineral and metal prices, forcing them to restructure their business models and scrap dividends. Iron ore prices are currently at $41 [...]
Crazy London house prices have pushed Aim-listed Formation Group’s revenues up almost 200 per cent January 29, 2016 London’s buoyant property market has helped construction management firm Formation Group report revenue growth of 199 per cent for the year ending 31 August 2015. Group revenues rose to £23.7m over the period, compared with £7.941m the previous year, while profits before taxation were £2.2m from continuing operations, up from a 2014 loss of £99,000. [...]
FTSE 100 hovers close to 6,000 after Bank of Japan unveils shock interest rate cut January 29, 2016 The FTSE briefly edged above 6,000 points again this morning as investors cheered a shock decision by the Japanese central bank to cut one of its main interest rates to negative. The bank cut its benchmark rate to -0.1 per cent, effectively meaning it will charge lenders interest for excessive reserves parked in its coffers. The news caused Japanese [...]
First-time housing market booming in the UK despite fall in purchases over the Christmas period January 29, 2016 THE NUMBER of first-time home buyers in the UK fell in December due to the traditional Christmas period slowdown, but showed healthy growth over the year, new data has shown today. First-time buyer numbers fell by 1,300 or 4.7 per cent month-on-month due to the “traditional winter cooling” period, according to the first-time buyer tracker [...]
UK confidence in housing market remains strong despite waning economic outlook January 29, 2016 CONFIDENCE in the UK housing market remains strong, despite growing concerns over the wider economy, according to new research today. The latest quarterly Halifax Housing Market Confidence Tracker showed that despite confidence declining steadily since May, the majority of people still believe that average UK property prices will be higher in 12 months’ time, with [...]
Global market turmoil fails to derail UK consumer confidence in January January 29, 2016 UK CONSUMER confidence rose in January, shrugging off the global market volatility that overshadowed the start of the year. Market research firm GfK found that its consumer confidence index increased by two points to +4 in January, while a comparable index by YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) rose by 0.1 [...]