UK banks launch new low-deposit mortgage scheme April 19, 2021 High street banks will today begin offering mortgages with a deposit of just five per cent under a new government-backed scheme. The scheme, first announced in the Budget, is designed to make home ownership more affordable for first-time buyers. Borrowers will be able to secure a mortgage with just a five per cent deposit on [...]
Home buyers face highest-ever price tags as house prices jump by £7,000 in just four weeks April 19, 2021 Spring home buyers are facing the highest ever prices demanded by sellers, with the average price tag on a home having jumped by nearly £7,000 in the space of just a month. Across Britain, the increase of £6,733 or 2.1 per cent month-on-month pushed average seller asking prices to a new record high of £327,797 [...]
Inside Sheikh Mohammed’s British property empire April 17, 2021 Sheikh Mohammed, the controversial ruler of Dubai, has become one of the UK’s largest landowners, exceeding that of the Queen’s personal property portfolio. Spanning 40,000 hectares, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum’s properties can be found on the most exclusive streets in London and in the most elusive locations in the Scottish Highlands, according to the [...]
Before the Open: Late US tech selloff set to act as a drag on European open April 15, 2021 US markets saw another mixed close yesterday, only this time it was the S&P500 and Nasdaq that finished the day lower, while the Dow and Russell 2000 finished higher on the day. Despite the mixed close the S&P500 and Dow still managed to post new record highs. Coinbase finished its first day of trading, closing [...]
Halifax: UK house prices near ‘pre-financial crash levels’ April 14, 2021 UK house prices have hit a record high despite rising at a slower rate than a year ago, according to the Halifax house price index this morning. The lender said that the affordability of houses was “close to pre-financial crisis levels”, as house prices remained historically high at an average of £252,765. The difference between [...]
London’s most famous plumber Charlie Mullins: Bring on vaccine passport or pay 100 quid for a burger April 14, 2021 During a recent press conference, the Prime Minister endorsed the idea of a vaccine passport as “a sensible one” before government documents later supported Boris Johnson’s assertion that they “could play a role in reducing social-distancing requirements”. But the announcement has created a fiery political debate, with Labour fiercely opposing the introduction of a vaccine [...]
The pros, cons and incentives behind the SPAC-craze sweeping markets April 14, 2021 There have been 378 initial public offerings (IPOs) in the US in the first three months of 2021. That’s more than in any full calendar year between 2003 and 2019. The $139 billion raised so far this year is more than two and a half times the yearly average over this period. They already have [...]
London house prices: First-time buyers now need up to £73k more to get on the property ladder April 14, 2021 First-time buyers have seen house prices climb by 7 per cent in the last twelve months, according to new research that build snagging and defect management firm BuildScan shared with City A.M. this morning. As the stamp duty holiday helped to boost buyer demand, a sharp uplift in house prices followed as a result, particularly in [...]
Foxtons sees revenues rocket amid stamp duty-driven housing boom April 14, 2021 Foxtons has seen impressive revenue growth in the three months to 31 March, at a time when house prices are at an all-time high amid the stamp duty holiday. Group revenue at the estate agent in the first quarter of 2021 stood at £28.5m, up 24 per cent on the same period last year. [...]
US dealmaking pushes global M&A to first-quarter high April 13, 2021 Global M&A is on course for a record-breaking year as pent up demand pushed deal-making to an all time high in the first quarter. The momentum seen in the latter half of 2020 has continued unabated with the M&A market surging in the first three months of the year. The number of deals is up [...]