London Report: Shell and Barratt push FTSE upward to seven-week high April 30, 2014 THE UK’S blue-chip share index set a seven-week high yesterday, lifted by a rally in energy stocks after solid results from Royal Dutch Shell, although tensions in Ukraine and poor US growth data capped gains. Shares in Shell gained 3.7 per cent, adding the most points to the FTSE 100 index, after the Anglo-Dutch company [...]
London Report: Housebuilders help FTSE to a modest bounce April 9, 2014 BRITAIN’S blue-chip stock index staged a technical bounce yesterday, helped by a rally in housebuilders as analysts flagged buying opportunities in shares that have underperformed recently. The FTSE 100 had shed 1.6 per cent over the previous two days. However, charts showed the trend for the index remained up and investors were still prepared to [...]
London Report: FTSE suffers its sharpest daily fall in a month April 7, 2014 BRITAIN’S top equity index had its biggest one-day decline in a month yesterday, retreating from a three-week high as a drop by housebuilders weighed on the market. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index, which rose 0.7 per cent on Friday to reach its highest point in around three weeks, closed down by 1.1 per cent, or [...]
Celebrating the art of living March 28, 2014 Here are some of the public artworks commissioned by property developers to inspire Londoners at home THE TOWER AT SAFFRON SQUARE, CROYDONThis 43-storey skyscraper in Croydon is set to grace London’s skyline in 2016. Residents can expect “five-star hotel living” set against arty interior design. The architecture of the building is inspired by the iconic [...]
Perfecting the art of seduction with bespoke interiors March 28, 2014 Melissa York talks to Julia Reynolds, the saleswoman who makes every viewing a singular experience THE next time you walk into a show home, take a good sniff. It’s likely that a lot of thought has gone into what permeates your nostrils. The days of sales teams brewing coffee or arranging flowers at strategic intervals [...]
Why HSBC’s feeling excited about UK house building March 26, 2014 HSBC has issued a bullish note today on housebuilders explaining why – despite the sector having already trebled in value since 2011 and despite fears overs the impact of future interest rate hikes and the 2015 general election – it still remains upbeat on the sector. The bank has an overweight rating on eight of [...]
FTSE 100 down after reshuffle March 24, 2014 STOCKS joining the FTSE 100 index had a weak first day yesterday, joining as the market fell. Barratt Developments’ stock price dropped 2.4 per cent on its first day in the top index, while finance group St James’s Place dipped 1.52 per cent. Meanwhile FTSE 100 leaver Amec, the oil and gas firm, fell 0.91 [...]
Barratt to create 3,000 extra jobs March 20, 2014 Barratt Developments, Britain’s largest housebuilder by volume, said it plans to hire 3,000 more workers after George Osborne announced that the government will extend the Help to Buy scheme until 2020. It said it would increase the number of sites it is working on from 380 to 450 to boost building rates and that it [...]
London Report: Building boost helps FTSE snap its losing streak March 17, 2014 BRITAIN’S top share index snapped its longest losing streak in two and a half years yesterday as the building sector surged on a government plan to pump more cash into a scheme to boost construction. Persimmon was among top FTSE gainers, rising 3.7 per cent after chancellor George Osborne said on Sunday he would extend [...]
The 236 skyscrapers coming to London March 12, 2014 London’s skyline is set to change dramatically over the next decade. According to a report out today, over 236 towers over 20 storeys are being proposed, approved or under construction – more than double the number of high-rise buildings estimated to be in capital today. Traditionally a low-rise city, London’s skyscrapers have, until now, been [...]