FTSE 100 close: Barclays and NatWest rise on London index as stalling house prices knock builders May 9, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 kick started a fresh week down today, with Britain’s biggest home builders sliding after new figures showed house price growth has stalled. The capital’s premier index nudged 0.18 per cent lower to 7,764.10 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, [...]
Why you should never, ever bet against UK house prices May 9, 2023 Remember the start of the year? “UK house prices have gone into sharp reverse over recent months. And we expect that elevated mortgage rates will result in at least a 12 per cent price correction,” so said Capital Economics at the time. This is from building society Nationwide last week: “While annual house price growth [...]
Coronation and your cash: How much have prices – and life in the UK – changed since 1953? May 5, 2023 When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned 70 years ago in 1953, the price of a pint was less than 10p, the average house price was around £1,800, and the average salary was £10 a week. But that’s not all that has changed, this year’s Coronation of King Charles III takes place in a nation where life [...]
Recession knife-edge: Consumer spending on credit at £1.3bn as house prices continue to slide May 2, 2023 Britain’s better than expected economic performance since the turn of the year is poised to have lured consumers into splashing the cash on their credit cards, new numbers out this week are tipped to show. Families are tipped by markets to have borrowed £1.3bn in March, which would signal spending in the UK is holding [...]
London rents surge to record high of more than £2,500 as experts warn of no let up in sight April 28, 2023 London rents have surged to their highest level on record and experts have warned there is little sign of the capital’s housing market improving any time soon, fresh figures out today reveal. The cost per month of renting a property in London climbed 14 per cent over the last year to £2,501, according to search [...]
Taylor Wimpey axed 450 jobs as construction giant sounds housing market warning April 27, 2023 Up to 450 jobs have been cut as home construction firm Taylor Wimpey as it looks to deliver £19m in cost savings. Ahead of its AGM today, the London-listed firm said spring had helped in year to date sales, while severe challenges remained for first time buyers still. In a trading update, it said a [...]
Britain’s renters are the real victims of this inflation and interest rate crunch April 25, 2023 People doubtless would’ve gasped at headlines last week about UK interest rates being on course for five per cent. Such a path looked implausible in March when Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse and Credit Suisse’s shotgun marriage to UBS sparked fears of a financial market meltdown. After those events, traders trimmed their expectations of how much more [...]
FTSE 100 close: Markets end in the green before Easter weekend despite US recession fears April 6, 2023 London’s blue-chip index approached the Easter weekend higher as oil giant Shell lifted markets despite fears that the US economy might be slowing. The capital’s premier index ended 1.03 per cent higher at 7,741.56 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, closed 1.05 [...]
UK house prices: Growth down while rents soar by their highest in seven years March 22, 2023 Private rent paid by tenants in the UK rose 4.7 per cent in the 12 months to February 2023, up from 4.4 per cent in the 12 months to January 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics which also reported that house prices increased 6.3 per cent in the same period. Annual private rent [...]
Crash? What crash? House prices defy gravity though London lags slightly March 20, 2023 House prices continues to defy expectations with a steady recovery this month that has seen the average property coming onto the market increase by £3,000. Asking prices for new sellers do still remain £5,800 below their peak in October 2022. London’s average asking price fell by 0.1 per cent in March, leaving the average price [...]