The markets are on the turn, but only in the short-term July 11, 2010 THE success of Paul the octopus at predicting the outcome of World Cup matches has left many spread betters green with envy at his powers. What would be better than being able to predict with accuracy the bottom of the market? But in the absence of any psychic ability, traders have to rely on market [...]
Chinese firm in exclusive talks to acquire Tower 42 July 4, 2010 THE SALE of London’s first skyscraper came a step closer to completion yesterday after it emerged that Chinese Estates Group had entered exclusive discussions to buy Tower 42. The group, chaired by Hong Kong-based billionaire Joseph Lau, is said to have won a three-month auction with a bid near the asking price of £300m. Moorfield [...]
Keep it real in the Caribbean, just the place for sun, sand and security July 1, 2010 THE appeal of white sand, turquoise sea and a developed infrastructure all in one is too strong to be destroyed by an economic downturn, even this one. While prices sank by 20-25 per cent in two of the British Caribbean’s hottest spots, Barbados and St Lucia, the market has far from stalled. In fact, buyers [...]
Cotswolds classics are always in demand July 1, 2010 PICTURE the idyllic country home and the chances are you’ll conjure up some quaint, mullioned stone cottage in the Cotswolds. Far beyond a fad, the Cotswolds are home to what many consider England’s most appealing rural villages. They ooze a well-heeled ambiance but provide countryside and an equestrian community that is second to none, all [...]
House price boom starts to crumble June 28, 2010 HOME prices fell for the first time in more than a year in May, Land Registry data showed yesterday, sparking fears of a second downturn in Britain’s fragile housing market. The average residential property dropped 0.2 per cent in value during the month as uncertainty over austerity measures to be enforced by the incoming government [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 27, 2010 THE SUNDAYS The Sunday Telegraph PRIVATE SECTOR WARNS ON PUBLIC SECTOR CUTS Leading companies have warned they will not be able to pick up the slack from the wide-scale job losses expected in the public sector. The warning raises concerns over a key part of the Chancellor’s spending cuts, which are based on the assumption [...]
Cable to refresh Royal Mail privatisation plans June 24, 2010 VINCE Cable has asked the man behind plans to part-privatise the Royal Mail to see whether a full stock market flotation or sale to a trade buyer could unlock more value in current market conditions. In his first report, former deputy chairman of Ofcom Richard Hooper recommended a strategic partnership with a private player, essentially a part-privatisation. [...]
How Osborne’s budget affects the housing market June 24, 2010 THERE are not many ways to make a 10 per cent tax hike look business-friendly, but Chancellor George Osborne pulled off a neat trick this week by doing just that. Expectations of a massive capital gains tax (CGT) rise had been building since the Liberal Democrats, who had promised to raise CGT to close to [...]
AFTER FINANCE AND FILMS, CITY VETERAN IS STILL FULL OF BEANS June 24, 2010 WILL that Stefan Allesch-Taylor ever stop adding to his already thickly-strung bow? A City veteran of some stature (quite literally: Allesch-Taylor stands a formidable 6’10” tall), he is best known as the founder of boutique Mayfair-based investment bank Fairfax. In addition to that, his CV lists top positions at any number of firms, including Clearbrook [...]
At a glance: All the crucial points from Osborne’s emergency Budget June 22, 2010 THE ECONOMY/PUBLIC FINANCES • The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published fresh forecasts in light of the measures announced yesterday by chancellor George Osborne. • GDP growth will be 1.2 per cent in 2010, accelerating to 2.3 per cent in 2011, 2.8 per cent in 2012 and 2.9 per cent in 2013. The pace of [...]