Shareholder feud mounts as Samuel Tak Lee plans to vote against re-election of Shaftesbury bosses February 7, 2019 The war of words between one of London’s largest landlords and a Hong Kong billionaire has escalated this morning in the run-up to an investor showdown set to take place tomorrow. Samuel Tak Lee, who owns a 26 per cent holding worth £700m in West End property group Shaftesbury, has revealed today that he will [...]
UK house prices fall at the start of 2019 as Brexit uncertainty weighs on market, says Halifax February 7, 2019 UK house prices experienced their steepest drop for nine months in January as eyes turn towards the possible impact of Brexit on the housing market, figures released today showed. House prices dropped 2.9 per cent in January compared to December’s 2.5 per cent rise, Halifax house price index data revealed. That is just short of April's [...]
Bellway set for revenue bump despite Brexit jitters February 7, 2019 Bellway said this morning that it was expecting a rise is sales over the year ahead, despite echoing the cautious sentiment over Brexit from many of its peers within the property industry. Buoyed by demand for affordable homes and government schemes such as Help-to-Buy, Bellway said in a trading update this morning that it expected total [...]
Segro appoints Mondelez chocolate boss Mary Barnard to the board February 6, 2019 Property group Segro today said it has appointed a veteran of confectionery company Mondelez to its board. Mary Barnard, who is currently president of European chocolate for Mondelez, will take up the position of non-executive director from the beginning of March. Read more: Segro rent soars amid rising e-commerce demand for warehouse space The British [...]
Redrow hails record profit as founder bows out on a high February 6, 2019 Housebuilder Redrow hailed record half-year profits before tax this morning, striking a resilient tone despite fears of greater uncertainty over Britain's imminent departure from the EU and a “subdued” Christmas. The figures In Steve Morgan’s final trading statement as chairman, the FTSE 250 developer said that pre-tax profits rose five per cent to £185m in [...]
Private Rented Sector investment to hit £75bn by 2025 February 5, 2019 Investment in the UK’s private rented sector (PRS) is expected to nearly double in size over the next six years, as home-ownership rates wane in the wake of affordability pressures. The level of capital being invested or committed into the UK’s professionally-managed institutional PRS is forecasted to hit £75bn by 2025, marking a sharp rise [...]
High end hostel operator Safestay’s expects revenue to surge amid demand from ‘digital generation’ February 5, 2019 One of Europe’s leading hostel operators saw its share price jump this morning after saying that it expected full-year revenue to soar in the wake of demand from young backpackers. Safestay, a high-end hostel owner listed on London’s Alternative Investment Market (Aim), is forecasting a 39 per cent rise in total revenues to £14.6m in the 12 months [...]
St Modwen cashes in on fast-growing logistics sector as asset values rise February 5, 2019 Property group St Modwen posted a full-year rise in the value of its assets this morning, amid efforts to dispose of struggling retail sites and focus instead on Britain’s fast-growing logistics sector. The Birmingham-based developer said that it sold over half of its retail portfolio for £177m in the 12 months to 30 November last [...]
Investor groups back Shaftesbury board ahead of shareholder showdown February 3, 2019 West End landlord Shaftesbury has secured the support of two major investor groups as it braces for a showdown with shareholder Sammy Tak Lee at its annual general meeting this week. Hong Kong billionaire Lee, who owns 26 per cent of the property group, last week called on investors to vote against three resolutions allowing [...]
House prices drastically outpacing wage growth in UK cities as Oxford named least affordable place to live February 2, 2019 House prices in UK cities are outpacing wage growth by 11 per cent, meaning home affordability is at its lowest level since 2007, according to new data from Lloyds Bank. The report reveals that the average price of a house in a city in Britain has risen from £180,548 in 2013 to its highest ever level of £248,233 [...]