Elizabeth Line has helped create 400k jobs in and around London January 10, 2025 The area around the City of London’s Liverpool Street Station has been one of the biggest benefactors of the new Elizabeth Line research shows. London’s most popular route has carried more than 0.5bn passengers since its inception. Fresh figures from Transport for London (TFL) and Arup show Crossrail has helped create thousands of new jobs by [...]
Pound sterling sinks and gilt yields rise after US jobs report January 10, 2025 The pound plummeted against the dollar while gilt yields came under further pressure after new figures revealed the continued strength of the US economy. According to the latest report on the US labour market, the world’s largest economy added 256,000 roles in December, accelerating from November and well ahead of economists expectations. Unemployment, meanwhile, unexpectedly [...]
Property analysts forecast strong spring as stamp duty deadline looms January 10, 2025 Activity in the UK’s property market closely followed government policies on tax last year, something set to continue as the reality of the stamp duty deadline sinks in for first-time buyers. Real estate experts have predicted a burst of activity in early spring ahead of the end of stamp duty relief for first homes, which [...]
M&S: City broker slashes share price target on lower profit prospects January 10, 2025 Berenberg has downgraded its share price target for Marks and Spencer following lower estimates of long-term growth for the high street darling. The broker downgraded its price target from 410p to 384p, a cut of six per cent, due to a decrease in its profit estimate. “The potential for upside surprise now looks more limited [...]
Cum-ex: FCA fines broker over trading violations January 10, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined broker Arian Financial £288,962 over cum-ex trading violations, after it failed to ensure it had effective systems and controls against financial crime. Cum-ex trading, also known as dividend stripping, is a method of tax avoidance that allows firms to distribute profit as capital gains rather than dividends, allowing [...]
Mortgage rates to rise on back of bond market turmoil January 10, 2025 Gilt yields influence the mortgage market through swap rates, the main benchmark for mortgage lending in the UK.
Another private takeover: Alliance Pharma offered £350m January 10, 2025 The London Stock Exchange is facing yet another private takeover, with Alliance Pharma offered £349.7m in an all-cash deal. The AIM-listed firm, which sells over-the-counter drugs in over 100 countries, has seen its board recommend the takeover unanimously by asset manager DBAY Advisors and Edmond de Rothschild’s ERES IV fund. The group’s stock price jumped [...]
Pound endures week of misery amid gilt sell-off January 10, 2025 The pound came in as the worst-performing G10 currency for a second day running yesterday, as the gilt market continues to trade at decade-long highs. After spiking as high as $1.255 on Tuesday, the pound has since fallen to $1.229, its lowest point since October 2023. “What makes the current situation particularly noteworthy is that [...]
Chancellor Rachel Reeves looks for pro-growth measures amid market tumult January 10, 2025 Earlier this week the yield on the 30-year gilt hit its highest level since 1998 while the 10-year gilt rose to its highest level since 2008.
Bank of England’s Breeden backs ‘gradual’ interest rate cuts January 9, 2025 A Bank of England rate-setter said she expects to back “gradual” interest rate cuts this year due to continued uncertainties about the economic outlook. Speaking in Edinburgh, Sarah Breeden said inflation had come down faster than expected throughout 2024, which will enable the Bank to continue lowering borrowing costs. “The recent evidence further supports the [...]
