Ashtead Group’s share price is on the up, building on a set of good results June 14, 2016 Ashtead's share price was on the up in morning trading after the construction equipment provider announced a set of strong results. The figures Ashtead's rental revenue for the year grew 17 per cent. There was also double-digit growth for the company's pre-tax profit, up 24 per cent to £645m, from £490m in 2015. This year the company invested £1.2bn [...]
These are the top concerns for UK landlords (Brexit is pretty low down) June 13, 2016 As everyone else bites their nails over the EU referendum, the outcome of the big vote has only just made it into the list of the top concerns of UK landlords. Instead, their top worry is the exemption of residential property from the new capital gains tax cuts, according to a survey by Amicus Property Finance. Read more: Brits [...]
World’s leading mining companies dig in for long road to recovery June 7, 2016 The world's leading mining companies are digging in for a long road to recovery after share prices in the sector and some commodities staged a rally yesterday. Oil pushed through the $50 mark, while copper, gold and zinc hit multi-week highs. London’s mining index jumped 6.5 per cent, with giants such as Glencore, BHP Billiton, [...]
The post-crash entrepreneurial revolution has changed Britain: I want MPs to spur it on further June 6, 2016 Today we are launching the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Entrepreneurship in the House of Commons. This cross-party group of MPs will act as a bridge between entrepreneurs and policy-makers, “making sure the voice of entrepreneurs is heard loud and clear in Parliament,” as business secretary Sajid Javid MP will say at the launch event [...]
It’s Tax Freedom Day: It may be the latest it’s been since 2001 but you’re finally earning for yourself June 3, 2016 Ask a random person on the street how much tax they pay and they’ll usually guess around 20 per cent of their income. That’s the basic rate of income tax, and it’s easy to forget taxes like VAT, council tax, beer and wine duties, air passenger duty, motoring taxes and stamp duty. Even if you remind [...]
Buy to let investors are feeling the heat: What are the alternatives for gaining exposure to residential property? May 26, 2016 The buy-to-let boom of recent years has fed the stereotype that Brits are uniquely obsessed with property. Yet statistically this appears to be little more than a myth. The latest data from Eurostat show that 64.8 per cent of the UK adult population lives in a property they own compared to an EU average of [...]
School of hard knocks: How to cut the soaring cost of private education May 26, 2016 When it comes to our children, a good education is priceless. But if you’re talking about sending them to a private school, there is a hefty price tag, and it has been rising precipitously. To send a child to a private day school from 2015 to 2028 will set you back an average of £286,000, [...]
Building an economy of the future: Why the Conservative government needs to change its fiscal mandate May 24, 2016 Since the Conservative's won their majority government in 2015, our economy has begun to waver. In the first quarter of this year growth slowed, with construction output falling by 0.9 per cent. The OECD has downgraded forecasts, as has the CBI. In addition, 10-year gilts hit an all-time low in February and foreign investment is collapsing, [...]
The big squeeze: Should you consider VCTs as part of your retirement planning? May 24, 2016 A total of £429m of new money was raised by Venture Capital Trust (VCTs) managers in 2014-15 – the fourth highest yearly figure ever. Introduced back in 1995, these listed investment vehicles enable investors to access pooled funds of smaller, higher risk firms in a tax-efficient manner, while providing a crucial lifeline to fast-growing UK [...]
Performance vehicle: Five tips to get the most mileage from your Sipp May 24, 2016 Whether you’re a young saver prepared to take on more risk, or a retiree who doesn’t want to trade their nest egg for an annuity, self-invested personal pensions (Sipps) are tax-efficient vehicles which put you at the controls. Also known as DIY pension schemes, Sipps can be used to invest in any number of assets [...]