Berkeley Group pays £150m for Murdoch’s Fortress Wapping May 16, 2012 THE FORMER headquarters of News International, based in East London, has been snapped up by Berkeley Group. A source close to the deal told City A.M. that the Wapping site was sold for around £150m. Fortress Wapping, so called when Rupert Murdoch defeated unions and moved away from Fleet Street, was bought by Murdoch in [...]
Housebuilder Bovis expects better margins May 16, 2012 BOVIS Homes said yesterday it expects strong profit growth this year helped by higher average sales prices and improved profit margins, and sees conditions in the UK house building market remaining stable. The company reported 783 private net reservations in the 19 weeks to 11 May, a 33 per cent increase over last year, with [...]
Barratt homes enjoys its best spring sales season in five years May 10, 2012 BARRATT yesterday hailed its best spring selling season in five years, as it focused on more buoyant sections of Britain’s weak property market and government initiatives helped to prop it up. The company, one of Britain’s largest housebuilders, said while the economic outlook remains uncertain, it expects “the various government initiatives to continue to provide [...]
LONDON REPORT May 7, 2012 THE bank holiday began a short trading week in London that is nevertheless crammed full of corporate results, as well as the much-anticipated Bank rate decision. Results are expected today from Hiscox, HSBC and Tui. Tomorrow’s announcements are set to come from EasyJet, Inmarsat, ITV, Sage, Glencore, ICH Group, Balfour Beatty, Prudential, Carphone Warehouse, Weir [...]
Final three shortlisted to build Olympic homes March 28, 2012 THREE competing bidders have been shortlisted to build 800 homes in the first neighbourhood at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park after the London 2012 Games. Barratt Homes and Le Frak Organisation, Taylor Wimpey and London & Quadrant as well as East Thames and Countryside Properties, have been selected from a shortlist of six potential developers [...]
FTSE 100 ticks higher as boost for Vodafone helps counter commodity drag March 21, 2012 BRITAIN’S top share index posted a fractional gain yesterday after a volatile session as strength in market heavyweight Vodafone countered weaker commodity stocks hit by below par US data that revived concerns over demand for metals. The UK blue chip index closed up 0.54 points, or 0.01 per cent, at 5,891.95, surrendering a 0.3 per [...]
Housebuilders in £150m boon March 21, 2012 HOUSEBUILDERS were among the biggest risers in the FTSE yesterday after the chancellor said the Get Britain Building fund, which provides upfront finance to construction companies, would be expanded. Shares in Barratt Development jumped 4.42 per cent while Bovis Homes’ shares closed 3.84 per cent higher as the government announced it will increase the fund [...]
FTSE posts slim gain after Budget March 21, 2012 London’s blue chip index posted a marginal gain on closing after a volatile session as strength in market heavyweight Vodafone countered weaker commodity stocks hit by below par US data which revived concerns over demand for metals. The UK blue chip index closed up 0.54 points, or 0.01 per cent, at 5,891.95, surrendering a 0.3 [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS March 14, 2012 May Gurney May Gurney, the support services business, has appointed Mark Hazlewood group finance director. He joined May Gurney in November 2010 as group corporate development director and led the successful acquisition of both Turiff and TransLinc. He has also held interim responsibility as finance director of the group’s regulated services division. Hazlewood previously worked [...]
THE WEEK AHEAD February 26, 2012 Today A diverse group of FTSE 100 reporters will kick off a busy week in the corporate calendar this morning, with banking giant HSBC likely to be top of many investors’ watch list. Analysts are expecting the bank’s geographical diversity to offset any potential weakness in it investment banking division, with profits expected to hit [...]