US Federal Reserve to back up monster rate hike with another 75 basis point move July 25, 2022 The US Federal Reserve will back up its monster rate rise last month with another big 75 basis point hike this week as it chases down scorching inflation across the pond. That’s according to Wall Street analysts, who think Fed chair Jerome Powell and the rest of the federal open market committee (FOMC) will need [...]
The investment trust sector and the Four Horsemen – a review of Q2 22 July 13, 2022 Conquest and War – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing conflict between the two countries; Famine – at the very least the increased threat of global food shortages as supplies from Ukraine, the ‘bread basket of Europe’, increasingly become weaponised; Death – despite the roll-out of vaccines, Covid-19 continues to mutate and take lives [...]
Homeowners look to flog properties as UK house price growth slows July 6, 2022 Requests for property valuations have hit their highest since January, according to the latest research, as homeowners look to make the most out of the market while house prices are still hot. House price growth has been slowing since the beginning of the year, according to the country’s most watched indexes. While still breaking new [...]
Are we heading for a global recession? June 29, 2022 Keith Wade, Chief Economist, discusses what central bankers’ next move might be, what markets are pricing in and what the probability of a recession is. People are worrying about a global recession and with good reason. But what if the factors driving rising prices are beyond the limits of policymakers’ control? The squeeze on living [...]
Use windfall tax to improve energy efficiency of British homes, argues climate charity Ashden June 16, 2022 The government should funnel revenues from the windfall tax into making the UK's housing stock more energy efficient, says Ashden.
Average mortgage repayments approaching 33 per cent of monthly income akin to 2008 financial crash levels May 25, 2022 Homeowners are spending more to live in their house than at any point in the last 15 years, with mortgage repayments equalling almost 33 per cent of monthly income. The cost of living crisis and increase in interest rates has put renewed pressure on property-owners, with house prices soaring and the cost of repayments nearing [...]
The City View: Crossrail finally arrives May 24, 2022 Today Andy Silvester talks to Adam Tyndall, Programme Director for Connectivity at London First. They talk all things Crossrail — from the first idea of an East-West railway in the 19th century, to the funding behind the Elizabeth Line, and to the future of London’s transport system. And in other news — Shell’s AGM was [...]
Average house price surpasses £367k as first time buyers face increasingly difficult landscape May 23, 2022 It is now no longer significantly cheaper to rent than buy, in terms of monthly outgoings, new analysis by RightMove has shown. While average monthly mortgage payments (£901) outpace average monthly rental payments (£887), the gap in payments has slimmed over the past decade. The property platform’s new analysis tracking first-time buyer affordability is based [...]
Cost of living crunch to deliver shock to UK households’ balance sheets May 4, 2022 Households’ balance sheets are set to be tainted by problem debt this year, driven by the worsening cost of living crunch forcing Brits to turn to credit cards to pay bills, reveals fresh analysis published today. Accelerating inflation over the course of this year is likely to spark a jump in unsecured lending, credit that [...]
Natwest’s profits soar as high interest rates boost bank’s mortgage business April 29, 2022 Natwest today said its profits had almost doubled since the previous quarter, despite inflation, the cost-of-living crisis, and the war in Ukraine. The bank said it had generated £841m in profits in the first quarter of 2022, up 93.8 per cent compared to the £434m in profits Natwest posted in Q4 2021. The first quarter [...]