Mapped: The most unaffordable places to get a mortgage in the UK January 8, 2015 Last year the bar was raised for first-time buyers hoping to get a mortgage, as the Bank of England introduced new rules limiting the amount banks and building societies can lend. For the first time, the amount mortgage customers can borrow has been capped at 4.5 times their income. If you're looking to buy that [...]
Charlie Hebdo: UK border controls tightened after Paris shootings January 8, 2015 Security checks have been ramped up for people entering the UK, following two attacks in Paris that have left 13 people dead. Checks at the Parisian station Gare du Nord have been tightened for people getting the Eurostar, while vehicle checks at Calais and other ports have been “enhanced” a government spokesman told City [...]
Tesco’s rising share price leads FTSE 100 higher January 8, 2015 Tesco became the biggest riser on the FTSE 100 this morning, with its shares jumping more than 11 per cent in lunchtime trading after it posted encouraging Christmas trading figures. By close of trading, Tesco's share price had soared 16.4 per cent. The rally helped the FTSE 100 to rise almost 2.3 per cent. Other [...]
Standard Chartered cuts more jobs as it axes global equities business January 8, 2015 Standard Chartered, the London headquartered bank which focuses on Asia, has announced more job cuts. The bank said it's closing the unprofitable equity sales and research business. This will lead to 200 job cuts worldwide and deliver around $100m in cost savings by 2016. Dismantling its stockbroking, equity research and equity listing desks worldwide will [...]
MP Charlotte Leslie takes to Twitter after Westminster canteen staff “unable to open the ice-cream freezer” January 8, 2015 I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice-cream – or at least they do in Westminster. It seems our politicos have had a forced abstinence from the cold treat. MP Charlotte Leslie tweeted a picture of a sign boldly sitting atop the ice-cream freezer in Westminster yesterday, stating: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, [...]
Bank of England keeps interest rates at 0.5 per cent for 70th month in a row January 8, 2015 The Bank of England's monetary policy committee (MPC) kicked off 2015 by keeping the base rate at 0.5 per cent. It's the 70th consecutive month rates have been held at historic lows, and the last rise was way back in March 2009. We'll have to wait until January 21 to find out who voted for [...]
Tesco turnaround: Dave Lewis says “We are facing the reality of the situation”. Here’s his statement in full January 8, 2015 Tesco's share price has risen 11.2 per cent today, after revealing better than expected results, a detailed turnaround strategy and the name of its new UK and Ireland boss, Halford's Matt Davies, who joins in June. Chief executive Dave Lewis has gone through a baptism of fire in his first few months at the [...]
Supermarket wars: Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons feeling the pressure in one share price chart January 8, 2015 Tesco’s share price is up today, and by a lot: 9.8 per cent at the time of writing. All in all, though, it’s been a bad past 12 months for supermarkets, with Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons share prices all sliding against the FTSE, which has itself dropped over the same period. Tesco’s story has been [...]
City of London’s hot air balloon to make maiden voyage in Lake Havasu festival January 8, 2015 Knock, knock, which member of the Lord Mayor’s City of London team is most full of hot air? The hot air balloon, obviously! No, we didn’t know they had a hot air balloon either, but here it is and The Capitalist has discovered it will make its maiden flight in foreign airspace. The balloon, along [...]
GQ includes Lloyds chief Antonio Horta-Osorio and Cheesegrater architect Richard Rogers on 2015 best-dressed businessmen list January 8, 2015 We've always known that suave Portuguese Lloyds chief, Antonio Horta-Osorio was a bit of a looker and a snappy dresser. Well, now we’ve all been proven correct by that bastion of style, men’s glossy GQ – it has voted him as the sixth best-dressed man in business. “He shines among his British peers as the [...]