BANK CHIEF ‘OGRE’ GETS AN IMAGE OVERHAUL July 20, 2010 FAIRFAX chief executive Stefan Allesch-Taylor is on the blower following a story in this column yesterday about the boutique bank scouting around for a new investor – a move which could potentially usurp the big man’s family trust as the firm’s largest shareholder. Not that Allesch-Taylor’s particular beef is with the story itself, mind. He’s [...]
House price gains set to be wiped out July 18, 2010 ALL the gains seen in property prices over the past six months will be wiped out by the end of the year, thanks to more aggressive pricing and an increase in the number of houses coming on to the market, property website Rightmove will say today. The forecast forms part of its monthly survey of [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS July 15, 2010 BP: ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY At last, some good news for BP. Its stock has sunk so low – closing yesterday at 401.75p – that investors are jumping at the chance to snap up cheap stakes in the oil giant. Clients of Barclays Stockbrokers have been piling into the stock – a third of [...]
FOCUS ON: BASILDON, ESSEX July 15, 2010 COBURG LANE, Price: £152,500 This smart two-bedroom maisonette would be ideal for first-time buyers. It comes with off-street parking and access to communal gardens. There’s no onward chain. Contact: Balgores on 01268 271110, www.balgoresproperty.co.uk SAMUEL ROAD Price: £280,000 A spacious four-bedroom house with plenty of storage and a well-sized back garden. It is within walking [...]
The ascent of prime London’s new hotspot July 15, 2010 FITZROVIA, the area around the BT Tower, bordered by Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road, Great Portland Street and Euston Road, should be Londoners’ idea of property heaven. The West End is on your doorstep, as is Regent’s Park. The ever-more exciting restaurant and bar scene of Goodge and Charlotte Streets, and the more established prettiness [...]
Don’t let your prime real estate abroad stand idle while you slave away at work July 15, 2010 WITH global growth likely to be sluggish in the coming years, it might seem like a poor time to invest in a holiday home. But with a clear strategy for renting out the place when you’re not in residence, it is easily possible to make back the cost of maintenance and to generate a little [...]
London hit by house price drop July 13, 2010 HOUSE prices in Britain rose by 0.7 per cent in May on the previous month, pushing the annual increase up to 11 per cent, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said yesterday. Consequently, the mix-adjusted average house price in the UK stood at £209,505 in May 2010. Annual average house prices paid by [...]
BMW driven to hike 2010 sales outlook July 13, 2010 Germany’s BMW raised its 2010 pretax profit and sales outlook yesterday, citing better-than-expected earnings at its automotive business and buoyant luxury car markets around the world. Shares in BMW and archrival Daimler jumped on the news as robust demand for high-performance autos like the BMW Z4 roadster and the new 5-series continues to rebound from [...]
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 [...]