How Rightmove became London’s (and the FTSE 100’s) most profitable company September 3, 2024 From an unknown tech start-up to the undisputed king of the UK’s online property sector, Rightmove is a shining example of how to turn a simple idea into a whole lot of profit. In its most recent full-year results, the London-listed property portal astounded investors by revealing it had achieved a record 71 per cent operating profit margin – [...]
Michelmersh: Profit sags at brick maker but order book hits multi-year high ahead of building boom September 3, 2024 Brick maker Michelmersh reported a decline in operating profit during the first half of 2024 as economic uncertainty and high interest rates hit housebuilding. Michelmersh’s operating profit fell to just £4.1m in the first half of the year, down 32.8 per cent from the first six months of 2023, the group disclosed in its half-year [...]
Build, Baby, Build: The Apprenticeship Levy is a tax by another name August 23, 2024 SME house builders need to attract young talent more than ever, but the inflexible Apprenticeship Levy is standing in the way, says Rowland Thomas The new Labour Government’s pro-development approach and commitment to getting Britain back building has been largely welcomed by the housebuilding industry. However, even if the Government delivers on its promise to [...]
Rising London rents are ‘a pressure cooker ready to explode’ as home ownership ‘inching out of reach’ August 14, 2024 “A pressure cooker ready to explode” is how one expert has described the current situation in the UK housing market as data showed rents jumped close to 10 per cent in London over the past year. In fresh data released this morning it was revealed that average UK private rents increased by 8.6 per cent [...]
Property Franchise Group heralds ‘transformational’ growth after Belvoir deal August 7, 2024 The Property Franchise Group (TPFG), which operates brands including Hunter’s and Ellis & Co, has announced booming revenue following the acquisition of Belvoir and Fine & Country. Aim-listed TPFG, which merged with Belvoir earlier this year in a £110m deal , is the UK’s largest multi-brand property franchiser. The deal appears to have paid off, with group revenue [...]
Rightmove urges Reeves to keep stamp duty threshold for first-time buyers as it posts ‘solid but uninspiring’ results July 26, 2024 Property giant Rightmove has called on the Government to retain the stamp duty threshold for first-time buyers, as it announced a solid but “uninspiring” set of results. Revenue at Rightmove rose by seven per cent to reach £192.1m, “as both agents and new homes developers renewed contracts, upgraded their packages and invested in additional products”, [...]
‘Steady picture’: UK house prices increase at fastest rate since July 2022, as London rose slowest July 17, 2024 Expectations of a cut to interest rates and continued tight supply helped house prices to rise for the third successive month in May, the Office for National Statistics has said.
Legal and General rows in behind Reeves’ housebuilding drive with £125m fund July 15, 2024 Legal & General has thrown its weight behind the government’s house building push today with a pledge to inject at least £125m of pension cash into affordable housing.
Mark Kleinman: Water sector’s goodwill will evaporate under Labour July 11, 2024 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and is the man that gets the City talking in his fortnightly City A.M. column. This week he writes about the new government’s plans for water firms, housebuilders and Schroders The moment has arrived. By the time City AM readers set eyes on today’s newspaper, Ofwat, the water [...]
Housebuilder Barratt to deliver profit ‘slightly ahead’ of expectations despite challenging conditions July 10, 2024 In a trading update covering the year to June, Barratt said that total home completions were at 14,004. Although this was down on 17,206 last year, it was still at the "upper end" of the firm's guidance.