Pub companies: Is now the time to invest in a cheap pint? September 23, 2019 Investors in Greene King are raising a glass in celebration after Hong Kong’s richest man, Victor Li, agreed to buy the UK’s largest publicly-listed pub and brewery company for £4.6 billion (including net debt). A unit of Li’s investment vehicle, CK Asset Holdings, has bid 850 pence per share – more than a 50 per [...]
UK house prices: Growth rate halves as south east faces ‘reality check’ September 18, 2019 The annual rate of growth of UK house prices has slowed to its worst rate since September 2012, according to public data released today, as prices in the south east plummeted. Average UK house prices grew just 0.7 per cent in the year to July, amounting to just half of June’s 1.4 per cent rise, [...]
First-time buyer demand boosts July mortgage figures September 17, 2019 First-time home buyer demand has remained strong despite ongoing political and economic uncertainty. Mortgages for buyers making their first step on to the property ladder in July increased 5.8 per cent compared to the same month last year. Read more: Shifting stamp duty would hurt first-time buyers The number of homemover mortgages also increased 1.4 [...]
Government drops probe into Saudi investments in Evening Standard and Independent September 16, 2019 The government has decided not to pursue a probe into Saudi investments in the Evening Standard and the Independent, despite concerns they could harm freedom of expression. Culture secretary Nicky Morgan today said she will not appeal a court ruling that blocked the government from forcing a full public interest inquiry. Read more: Independent and [...]
Focus on: Living by the River Thames September 13, 2019 Every September, the River Thames plays host to the Totally Thames festival; a month-long event which sees it taken over by art installations, history tours and performances. It’s a chance for Londoners to reconnect with the body of water that provides the backdrop to our daily lives, and make the most of some of the [...]
Oasis and Warehouse buy London menswear website September 10, 2019 The Oasis and Warehouse group has moved into menswear for the first time with the acquisition of a London-based online fashion brand. The Idle Man, which is headquartered in Shoreditch, was founded in 2014 by former Asos buyer Oliver Tezcan. The e-commerce platform sells men’s brands and its own labels. Read more: Oasis and Warehouse [...]
Keep the customer satisfied September 9, 2019 Everyone is looking for the secret to success in business. Perhaps they always have been; Dale Carnegie was writing self-help books for what we’d now call entrepreneurs in the 1930s. There’s an inevitable tension between the idea that there are universal lessons or tips, and that each business venture is unique and entirely of its [...]
Oil services deals fail to take off even years after downturn September 6, 2019 The amount of consolidation in the oil services sector is slowing, experts warned today, as companies in the sector face difficulties. The number of mergers or acquisitions (M&A) allowed to 37 in the first half of 2019, new data shows, a reduction from 64 in the same period last year. Read more: Creditors of Gulf [...]
Electric car sales charge ahead with record monthly demand September 5, 2019 More electric cars were sold in Britain last month than ever before, as zero-emission car sales rose fivefold amid an otherwise subdued automotive market. Zero emission car sales came to 3,147 vehicles in August compared to just 659 this time last year, as the release of several new models over the summer boosted demand, including [...]
Melrose shares get a boost despite GKN job cuts and car industry warning September 5, 2019 Takeover specialist Melrose Industries this morning predicted the downturn in the global automotive industry will persist until at least the end of the year, but enjoyed a jump in shares as it allayed investor concerns about the effect the industry’s struggles were having on its own business. Melrose’s market value rose five per cent this [...]