Horse racing betting tips: Village Vic back to pitch his tent at Cheltenham December 9, 2016 WHEN the rain finally arrived a month ago in time for Cheltenham’s Open meeting, trainers breathed a sigh of relief at the prospect of some proper winter jumping conditions. Yet, just four weeks on and clerk of the course Simon Claisse has been forced to turn on the taps to maintain decent ground. It’s been [...]
Opinion: Head of Savills’ Auctions on why owner occupiers are still the minority buying homes under the hammer December 8, 2016 Property auctions have changed dramatically over the last 30 years, evolving from small-scale events focused on lower value property, to day-long sales featuring a wide cross-section of the market. And the sector continues to grow. Savills Auctions has sold over £300m worth of property in 2016. Over the past three decades the reasons for selling [...]
The alchemists of time: How watch companies combine age-old techniques with cutting edge materials December 8, 2016 Let’s face it: a finely made timepiece is, in a rather nice twist of irony, a flashy anachronism. For starters, no one really needs a watch these days, finely made or not. Secondly, the delicate concoction of wheels, springs and levers driving a mechanical watch is based on an ancient principle – 200-year-old technology that [...]
The London luxury properties that have had their prices slashed by over 30 per cent December 7, 2016 London's high-end homes are in crisis. House prices in prime central London have been falling since 2014, when former chancellor George Osborne slapped higher rates of stamp duty on homes worth over £1m. This year, he introduced a further three per cent hike for people buying second homes. Read more: This is how far house prices have fallen [...]
Chris Grayling: All rail commuters will be able to use Oyster-style cards by 2018 December 6, 2016 Chris Grayling's announcement on splitting up Network Rail's dominance over track maintenance has caused a stir, but it's not the only change the transport secretary has unveiled. Rail commuters will be able to use an Oyster-style pay-as-you-go smart card to travel anywhere in the country by the end of 2018. Writing in the Telegraph, Grayling said: "We [...]
Edinburgh: a city of lights offering a box of delights December 6, 2016 The festive season is a magical time. Comforting childhood memories of twinkling city centre lights, carol singers and sipping hot chocolate mingle with familiar festive music and echoes of the butterflies once felt before meeting Santa in the local department store. Today, the hot chocolate might have been supplanted by a mug of warming mulled [...]
The ‘75%’ chance that the Santa Rally exists December 2, 2016 Stock markets are more likely to rise in December than any other month, according to analysis of nearly three decades of data. The analysis conducted by Schroders, which covers the world’s largest markets, adds to the debate over the existence of the “Santa Rally”, an alleged effect often dismissed by seasoned investors. Our analysis [...]
The ‘75%’ chance that the Santa Rally exists December 2, 2016 Stock markets are more likely to rise in December than any other month, according to analysis of nearly three decades of data. The analysis conducted by Schroders, which covers the world’s largest markets, adds to the debate over the existence of the “Santa Rally”, an alleged effect often dismissed by seasoned investors. Our analysis measured two [...]
Investment trust winners of 2016 November 29, 2016 Investment trusts focused on Asia are on course to deliver some of the best returns in 2016, according to data for trust sectors. Investment trusts are an alternative to more commonly held open-ended funds or unit trusts, offering some advantages. This is explained here: investment trust v open-ended funds Here, we look at the [...]
Countryside shrugs off Brexit concerns with soaring revenue and profits November 29, 2016 Housebuilder Countryside has laid solid foundations for 2017 after making a return to the London Stock Exchange earlier this year. The figures Adjusted revenue was up 26 per cent from £615.8m in 2015 to £777m, while adjusted operating profit rose 34 per cent to £122.5m from £91.2m. Basic earnings per share were up 209 per cent from [...]