HSBC profits slide on looming inflation default wave April 26, 2022 A deterioration in borrowers’ credit worthiness caused by a historic cost of living squeeze prompted Britain’s biggest lender HSBC to set aside millions of pounds to deal with a rise in defaults. The bank, which sources a large proportion of its profits from China and Asia, banked $600m (£470m) in reserves to cope with a [...]
Tax Spotlight: How the jump in national insurance will affect you and your household April 6, 2022 As Brits try to juggle surging living costs on a shrunken wage packet, experts have warned the pain of the rise in national insurance will be felt by people on their next payday, Here is a look at why the increase is happening and why “awful April” is seen as just the start of a [...]
Financials rally boosts London’s top indexes March 22, 2022 A rally among financial stocks boosted London’s top indexes this morning as the FTSE 100 closes in on its pre-Russian invasion of Ukraine high. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index closed 0.46 per cent higher at 7,476.72 points, while the domestically-focused FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, [...]
Home transactions up with market for pricey properties booming compared to pre-Covid levels March 22, 2022 Property transactions hit 96,250 last month, with big spenders buying more than before the pandemic. Transactions were up 15 per cent in February, compared to 83,450 in January, according to HMRC’s latest data on home transactions. Total sales for the first two months of the year stand at 179,900, some 18 per cent lower than [...]
UK house prices surge above £350,000 as demand outstrips supply March 21, 2022 The average house price in Britain has surged above £350,000 for the first time ever as buyer demand outstrips the amount of homes on sale.
Interview: Former rate setter Andrew Sentance on Governor Bailey’s ‘off the cuff’ remarks and where the BoE went wrong March 16, 2022 It is often a mark of how dire an economy’s situation is when incremental rises in interest rates hit the front pages. The worst cost of living crunch in a generation has, however, sent the Bank of England to the front of many households’ minds. Those outside of the City care less about the vagaries [...]
Mortgage approvals highest since the summer as cost of living crunch looms March 1, 2022 Mortgage approvals for house purchases lifted in January, in another monthly boost for the housing market. Figures released from the Bank of England on Tuesday morning show some 73,922 mortgage approvals during last month. This is the highest approval number since July 2021, when 75,900 mortgages were given the green light. It also represents the [...]
More banker bonuses on the way this week February 21, 2022 Big banker bonuses are back on the table amid a robust rebound in lenders’ profits, annual results are expected to reveal this week. The City is expecting Barclays, which publishes finals on Wednesday, to register a £8.1bn profit haul, up sharply from £3.1bn in 2020 when the pandemic sent the banking sector spiralling. Investors will [...]
Households braced for mortgage shock ahead of rates hike as cost of living crisis deepens January 31, 2022 Fresh warnings over the cost of living have been issued as millions of households could face a huge mortgage shock. Trade body UK Finance has said one in four mortgage borrowers on variable rate deals will be affected by an anticipated rates rise, The Telegraph first reported. The Bank of England is anticipated to hike [...]
FTSE 100 stocks to watch January 20, 2022 With January underway, we look at two high volume FTSE 100 stocks that you should keep an eye on in the coming months. 1. Lloyds In mid-December 2019, Lloyds was worth a respectable 64p per share. But after the pandemic-induced mini-crash, it had collapsed to 25p by September 2020. But after significant volatility, it’s recovering in the [...]