Open finance: exploring open banking’s natural evolution October 23, 2020 | City Talk Laziness. Lack of time. The all-too-frequent challenge of speaking to a helpful person by phone. There are many reasons why consumers and businesses don’t shop around and switch products and suppliers. Failing to keep abreast of the best mortgage rates? Rolling onto the same insurance every year without looking for better deals? If so, open finance – a development coming [...]
US private equity firm Lone Star to buy developer McCarthy & Stone for £630m October 23, 2020 US private equity firm Lone Star has made an offer to buy UK retirement property developer McCarthy & Stone for £630m. McCarthy & Stone has recommended that shareholders approve the deal, which represents a premium of 38.6 per cent to yesterday’s closing share price of 83p. The board said the offer represents “fair value” for [...]
The future of buildings in the age of Covid-19 October 23, 2020 Pandemics shape cities. Cholera, for example, led to the creation of London’s sewage systems in the 1830s. Of course, it is a brave person who is prepared to make predictions at a time like this. In fact, it has become almost a truism to say that we live in “uncertain times”. None of us, after [...]
A third of Brits worried about paying their rent or mortgage October 23, 2020 Nearly a third of Brits are worried about paying their rent or mortgage at the moment, a new survey has found. Polling conducted by Ipsos Mori showed that 30 per cent of people in the UK have such concerns at the moment, while 31 per cent are worried about making payments in a year’s time. [...]
Countrywide shareholder to oppose £90m lifeline from private equity investor October 22, 2020 Estate agent chain Countrywide (LON: CWD) has secured a £90m lifeline from private equity firm Alchemy in an “urgent” bid to reduce debt, however a significant shareholder is planning to oppose the deal. The firm, which owns Bairstow Eves and Hamptons International, said it is at a “critical inflection point” and is in “urgent need [...]
Shaftesbury taps investors for £300m as pandemic batters West End October 22, 2020 West End landlord Shaftesbury will tap investors for £300m amid a sharp downturn in central London footfall during the coronavirus pandemic. The property firm announced today that it intends to raise around £297m through a discounted offer of new shares, with the potential to raise £307m dependent on investor appetite. Shaftesbury, which owns 16 acres [...]
Real estate investment firms launch £100m self-storage partnership October 21, 2020 Two real estate investment firms have teamed up to launch a £100m self-storage joint venture, as investors target alternative properties amid uncertainty for office and retail assets. UK-focused real estate fund manager Moorfield Group has entered into a partnership with Stor-Age, a South African self storage Real Estate Investment Trust, which owns Storage King. The [...]
Segro buys Canning Town warehouse in £133m deal October 21, 2020 Property development firm Segro is adding a Canning Town warehouse estate to its London portfolio as it increases its presence in the capital. The landlord, which counts Amazon and Ocado as some of its clients, today announced it had acquired Electra Park, a 13 acre urban warehouse, from global investment manager Schroders for £133m. The [...]
Housebuilder Bellway restarts dividend as new orders jump October 20, 2020 UK housebuilder Bellway has resumed the payment of its dividend after the recent surge in housing market activity helped push up forward orders by 43 per cent. The group reported that pre-tax profit fell to £236.7 in the year ended July. That compared to £662.6 a year earlier. However, the future is looking brighter amid [...]
Exclusive: South London boroughs lead house price charge October 20, 2020 The south London boroughs of Merton, Croydon and Kingston saw the fastest house price growth in the year to August as the capital’s property market remained surprisingly buoyant, according to exclusive analysis by property website Zoopla for City A.M. Price growth was much slower up in Hillingdon, Barnet and Brent, however, reflecting big differences within [...]