Berkeley: On track but government housing plans require a ‘change of attitude’ September 6, 2024 Housebuilder Berkeley is on track to deliver £525m of pre-tax profit for the full year, according to an update from the firm this morning. The business, which is based in Cobham, England, said 90 per cent of this profit has already been secured through exchanged sales contracts. Berkeley also said it is “fully committed” to [...]
The City needs a shake-up for Britain to attract the £1trillion it needs, warns Sir Nigel Wilson September 6, 2024 The UK must unlock a wave of cash from domestic pension funds and revamp the structure of its capital markets to attract the £1 trillion of investment needed to achieve its target growth rate over the next decade, a report by a City grandee has found. The Capital Markets of Tomorrow report, led by former [...]
GB Energy: Bill criticised as ‘blank cheque’ as MPs debated flagship policy September 6, 2024 The government’s Great British Energy bill has been criticised as a “blank cheque” and for having “barely anything in it” as MPs debated the flagship policy in the Commons. Energy security secretary Ed Miliband introduced the legislation to the chamber on Thursday for its second reading – when the main Commons debate was held – [...]
UK-EU trade has ‘flatlined’ but hopes for ‘reset’, MPs told September 6, 2024 UK trade with the European Union (EU) has “essentially flatlined”, MPs were told, but the new government hopes to “reset our relationship” with the neighbouring bloc. Business minister Douglas Alexander told the House of Commons: “Overall trade since 2018 has essentially flatlined. “As a government, we’re determined to reset our relationship with the EU more [...]
Bad data holding back lending to UK’s small businesses, fintech chief warns September 6, 2024 High street banks are keen to lend more to small businesses but being held back by poor data sharing, the head of of a government-backed fintech hub has said, hailing the sector's potential to boost UK economic growth.
The Notebook: Investing in what you know has lost its relevance in 2024 September 6, 2024 Where the City's movers and shakers have their say. Today, Interactive Investor's Richard Hunter takes the pen, with the latest insight in all things investment.
FCA clamps down on hundreds more City firms in ‘robust’ enforcement push September 5, 2024 The Financial Conduct Authority more than doubled the amount of companies it banned from working as regulated companies last year as it looks to beef up its enforcement action and clampdown on wrongdoing in the City.
HS2: Construction of Britain’s longest railway bridge completed near London September 5, 2024 High Speed Two (HS2) has completed the construction of the longest railway bridge in Britain to the north west of London. The final deck segment of the 2.1-mile long viaduct, crossing the Colne Valley in Buckinghamshire, was fixed into place on Thursday by HS2 engineers. The new bridge breaks a 140-year record held by the [...]
Almost 90 per cent of investment trusts are on a discount. When will it change? September 5, 2024 A significant 88 per cent of all investment trusts are now trading on a discount to their underlying assets, City A.M. can reveal. The gap between the share price of investment trusts and the price of their underlying assets has got so bad that 30 per cent of all trusts now trade on a discount [...]
‘You’re fired’: The Apprentice star Lord Alan Sugar accused of treating Parliament with contempt September 5, 2024 Lord Alan Sugar, the star of BBC One hit The Apprentice, has been accused of treating Parliament with “contempt”. The business tycoon was told “You’re fired” in a row over his long-running failure to take part in proceedings in the House of Lords. Lord Sugar was given a dose of his own boardroom medicine after [...]