China fears hit again to push FTSE back down – London Report August 27, 2015 DESPITE rallying from China-related fears on Tuesday, the UK’s top share index sank yesterday, ending up not far from its lowest closing levels since the end of 2012. Data showing an unexpected pick-up in UK retail sales and an increase in mortgage approvals offered encouraging signals on the domestic economy but failed to stem selling. [...]
UK gambling firms bet on strong results – London Report August 23, 2015 UK SALES data and GDP estimates are due out this week, while on the corporate calendar several bookmakers are set to issue results, with both 888 Holdings and its takeover target Bwin.party due to report on Friday. Tomorrow, the British Bankers’ Association will release its latest mortgage approvals data, while on Wednesday, Nationwide will publish [...]
UK house prices: Approvals of mortgages slip back in July as interest rate rise looms August 17, 2015 The number of mortgage approvals fell back in July against a backdrop of fears over a rise in the Bank of England’s interest rates, according to the latest Mortgage Monitor from e.surv, the UK’s largest chartered surveyor. There were 65,356 house purchase mortgage approvals in July, down 1.8 per cent from 66,582 in June and [...]
Bumper week of UK results as oil majors update the market – London Report July 26, 2015 THIS week sees dozens of companies reporting results, while data on manufacturing orders and mortgage approvals should reveal that both markets are on the up. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is expected to report a modest pick-up in manufacturing orders in July, in data out today. Data on GDP growth, out tomorrow, is expected [...]
Housing market starting to “hot up” as mortgage approvals soar to a 15-month high July 24, 2015 The housing market is beginning to heat up again as mortgage approvals rose for the sixth consecutive month in June, taking them to a 15-month high. Figures released today by the British Bankers Association showed the number of mortgage approvals rose to 44,488 last month, from 42,876 in May. Remortgaging rose 20 per cent in the [...]
David Cameron’s housing construction shake-up fails to build market confidence: Experts disagree residential planning overhaul is game changer July 12, 2015 Housing developers had a bit of a rollercoaster ride last week. First the Budget rocked shares, with changes to tax relief on buy-to-let mortgages – and then, on Friday, the government unexpectedly put house building at the centre of its plan to boost the UK’s productivity. With the cost of a home jumping by 45 [...]
After UK house price growth slowed in June, is the UK housing market now finally cooling down? July 2, 2015 Augustin Eden, a research analyst at Accendo Markets, says Yes The market is finally cooling down – to the point where it may actually start to contract on an annual basis. There is much to be done until house prices are actually “affordable”, of course. A Bank of England interest rate rise would deter buyers [...]
Mortgage data expected to hint at improvement – London Report June 28, 2015 MORTGAGE approvals data from the Bank of England, out today, is expected to show an improvement in housing market activity during May. The bank is expected to reveal that mortgage approvals for house purchases rose modestly further to be at a 15-month high of 68,500 during the month. GDP growth is likely to be revised [...]
Two graphs that show how expensive living in the UK is – rents are double the continental average June 24, 2015 Private rents in the UK are the highest in all of Europe, analysis by the National Housing Federation shows. Getting a tough ride compared to European counterparts, rents in the UK also take up the largest chunk of people’s salaries, while they are also the least secure. UK rents, according to the analysis, average at [...]
Northern powerhouse project: Finance, science, and tech industries creating two-speed housing market, could boost north June 24, 2015 A big boost for the northern powerhouse project? Areas that have embraced the science, technology and finance industries have enjoyed disproportionately high house price growth, according to research from Savills. The fillip given to areas with a large number of companies in key industries suggests encouraging growth in such industries in the north could lead [...]