Housebuilders take a knock as BoE ends Funding for Lending for mortgages November 28, 2013 Shares in the housebuilding sector have taken a tumble across the board this morning on the news that the Bank of England is ending its Funding for Lending scheme for mortgage providers. At pixel time, Barratt Homes has plummeted 9.6 per cent. Persimmon, the UK's largest home builder, is down over six per cent. Taylor [...]
Tie Rack in a knot as it starts to sell off bricks and mortar stores November 19, 2013 STRUGGLING retailer Tie Rack is to begin its exit from the high street today, putting 200 jobs at risk. The owners of the chain said yesterday that it will begin closing Tie Rack’s 44 remaining stores, 30 years after it was founded by South African entrepreneur Roy Bishko. The closing-down sale is expected to begin [...]
Consumers ask to help reshape the high street November 18, 2013 BRITAIN’S embattled high street is in the midst of a revolution and consumers want an active role in shaping its future, according to new research from Deloitte. The business advisory firm’s latest consumer study out today, says that despite the highly publicised concerns regarding its future, residents continue to value the high street and want [...]
Barratt bullish after sales rise November 13, 2013 BARRATT Developments said yesterday it expects to deliver “substantial improvements” in its full-year performance, as the sector continues to benefit from government efforts to free up mortgage lending. The housebuilder reported a 31.5 per cent rise in the number of private reservations per site at 0.71 per week in the 19 weeks to 10 November. [...]
Help to Buy boosts Barratt sales by 47 per cent November 13, 2013 Barratt Developments has praised the government's Help to Buy scheme for playing a large role in the rising activity in the housing market, reportinga rise in private forward sales of 46.7 per cent, or £1.1bn, for the period of July to November. The company's interim management statement, released on Tuesday, said: The Government's Help to [...]
High street under pressure after Barratts and Blockbuster collapse November 12, 2013 BRITAIN’S embattled high street has been dealt a fresh blow ahead of Christmas after shoe retailer Barratts and film rental chain Blockbuster fell into administration yesterday. Advisory firm Duff & Phelps said it has been hired as administrator to Barratts after it collapsed for the third time in four years, placing more than 1,000 jobs [...]
Barratts Shoes enters administration (again) November 11, 2013 UK high street shoe store Barratts, which employs 1,035 people in the UK, has gone into for the third time in four years. Duff & Phelps, who have been appointed as administrator, said: At this stage redundancies and/or store closures cannot be ruled out. In view of the financial position of the company and withdrawal [...]
London Report: Carney likely to bear good news about inflation November 10, 2013 GOVERNOR of the Bank of England Mark Carney is likely to be the bearer of good news when he presents his inflation report on Wednesday, with the growth rate heading up and the unemployment rate coming down. Carney pledged in August not to raise rates until unemployment fell to at least seven per cent, a [...]
Our guide to the best investments November 7, 2013 London property prices are sky-rocketing, so what better time to invest with the rest? RIGHT now, investing in a London home looks like a pretty smart move. Asking prices saw a 10 per cent increase last month and, with low-deposit schemes like the government’s Help to Buy initiative, more people are looking to invest in [...]
London house prices to keep rising due to chronic undersupply October 28, 2013 The London housing market will continue to experience significant undersupply in the coming years and will retain its robust stance, according to research by Deutsche Bank. The bank expects UK listed house builders with scale and history in the region to see strong returns in their London divisions. It also expects new entrants such as [...]