US rate hike? Wall Street analysts divided over Federal Reserve’s upcoming interest rate decision September 13, 2015 As the Federal Reserve’s pivotal decision on US interest rates looms closers, Wall Street analysts remain divided on the likely outcome. To hike or not to hike? The Fed’s big decision is coming up quick, with the interest rate-setting meeting just days away, and a Bloomberg survey of analysts showed that half are expecting a [...]
Pay to return to pre-crisis levels in 2017, think tank predicts, but warns of inflation rise risk September 13, 2015 Pay will return to pre-crisis levels by 2017 if economic trends continue, a think tank predicts, however rising inflation could push that off-course. The latest research by the Resolution Foundation predicts that average weekly earnings grew by between 2.7 per cent and 2.8 per cent in the three months to July, in line with the [...]
Interest rates must rise “relatively soon” says Bank of England’s Martin Weale September 13, 2015 Interest rates will need to rise "relatively soon", Bank of England rate setter Martin Weale has said. The hawkish member of the BoE's monetary policy committee (MPC) has said inflation is likely to rise above the central bank's two per cent inflation target "in two to three years' time", which needs to be reflected in policy [...]
Rental properties in Scotland’s university cities named best for buy-to-let investors September 12, 2015 Scottish university cities offer the best chance of profit for buy-to-let investors in the UK, according to new research. Read more: Scotland's house price growth at its highest since 2007 Edinburgh offers the best average rental yield in the country at 6.11 per cent, according to a study put together by property website Zoopla, while Aberdeen, [...]
Number of Britons expecting Bank of England to raise interest rates climbs to four-year high September 11, 2015 More Britons are expecting interest rates to rise soon than anytime since 2011. Yesterday’s interest rate news was its usual less-than-exciting event, as the Bank of England held interest rates steady at 0.5 per cent for the 77th consecutive month. But change is closing in, as the Bank of England’s Quarterly Survey shows that the [...]
Oil price could drop to $20 a barrel, Goldman Sachs warns September 11, 2015 Oil prices could fall as low as $20 a barrel as weak fundamentals and wider concerns about the global economy push prices down even further, Goldman Sachs has warned. In a note sent out this morning, the analysts highlighted that the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil had fallen to its previously-forecast [...]
Facebook gets new London headquarters on Tottenham Court Road September 11, 2015 Tottenham Court Road had better brace itself for an influx of social media aficionados, as Facebook is renting over 225,000 square feet of office space in central London for huge new UK headquarters. Property developer Great Portland Estates is leasing its entire Rathbone Square development, by the Tottenham Court Road Tube station, to the social [...]
JD Wetherspoon hits out at government’s Living Wage September 11, 2015 Pub chain JD Wetherspoon has become the most recent in a series of companies to hit out at the government’s Living Wage. In the company’s preliminary yearly results, the pub chain said the government is putting pubs under financial strain. Read more: National living wage – All businesses will end up paying it – but [...]
AIM-listed Gemfields announces $22.5m worth of deals in Colombian emerald mining projects September 11, 2015 Leading coloured gemstone producer Gemfields is expanding its emerald business to Latin America. The AIM-listed company said yesterday that it had acquired two new projects for mining the green gemstone in Colombia in deals worth $22.5m (£14.5m). Gemfields chief executive Ian Harebottle said yesterday that the firm was “delighted” about entering Colombia, calling it a [...]
Lidl plots London expansion drive with 280 stores September 11, 2015 German discounter Lidl is going after London middle class shoppers with plans to open a huge swathe of stores in upmarket boroughs, including Notting Hill and Mayfair. The retailer, which has been rapidly gaining market share, yesterday announced ambitious plans to open 280 stores in London and the M25 area. The areas it [...]