London offices enjoy strongest spend in years February 5, 2013 THE CENTRAL London office market enjoyed its strongest year for investment since 2007 last year, thanks to a record level of purchases by foreign investors, according to data published yesterday by Knight Frank. The property specialist said total investment turnover for central London was £13.8bn in 2012, up from £9.6bn in 2011 and higher than [...]
From January mocktails to a real Bloody Mary February 5, 2013 City A.M.’s cocktail expert Alcohol’s value goes beyond its simple price-tag. Over the Christmas period it was no doubt used by plenty to ease family tensions, as well as to smooth the passage from 2012 into 2013. Alcohol is so ingrained within our social experiences that human guinea pigs exhibit the effects of drunkenness, even [...]
Sterling slide boosts overseas demand for London property February 3, 2013 A WEAKER sterling has helped to boost demand for central London property among European buyers, according to data published today by Knight Frank. The property consultancy’s monthly report shows property prices in prime central London rose 0.4 per cent in January, as overseas buyers looking for a safe haven for their money continued to drive [...]
Airline’s ambitions to join the FTSE 100 sped Rake’s departure January 27, 2013 AT first sight, the departure of Sir Michael Rake as EasyJet chairman is a victory for Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the company’s founder turned thorn-in-its-side. Sir Stelios sought Sir Michael’s removal last summer, following the BT chairman’s appointment to deputy chairman at Barclays, arguing overcommitment. However, despite public criticism by EasyJet’s largest shareholder, Sir Michael held [...]
Knight Capital suffers huge profit loss after volume drop January 24, 2013 ELECTRONIC trading firm Knight Capital posted a dismal set of figures yesterday, with an 84 per cent drop in earnings and 16 per cent decline in revenue. The firm, which stood on the brink of collapse last summer after a trading glitch delivered a $460m (£291m) loss to the business, is currently being taken over [...]
City Moves for 25 January 2013 | Who’s switching jobs January 24, 2013 Vestra Wealth Management Heinz Schmid has been appointed fixed income strategist in the wealth management firm’s investment team. He joins from Investec, and was previously head of UK fixed income at BNP Paribas. Schmid has also managed HSBC Investment Management’s sterling fixed income team, and held a number of roles at UBS. Centrus Advisors Geoff [...]
City Moves for 21 January 2013 | Who’s switching jobs January 20, 2013 Stonehage Group The European family office has appointed Rupert Hague-Holmes as a director in its private client and trust department. He joins from Kleinwort Benson, where he was head of legal services and group legal director. Hague-Holmes was also previously managing director of Close Brothers’s offshore businesses. Charles Taylor Tito Soso has been appointed group [...]
Lovefilm brings stateside shows to UK January 16, 2013 LOVEFILM has inked a deal with US network NBCUniversal that will bring shows such as 30 Rock (pictured), the US version of sitcom The Office, and 1980s cult classic Knight Rider to its streaming service. Amazon-owned Lovefilm is aiming to boost its catalogue in the wake of competition from Netflix, which has invested in exclusive [...]
Lenders report rise in number of home loans January 16, 2013 MORTGAGE loans ticked up in November, an influential group of lenders said yesterday, with a rise in the number of first-time buyers providing a welcome boost to the figures. The number of loans for house purchases grew by six per cent in the penultimate month of 2012, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) found. Mortgages [...]
Shoreditch set for £75m facelift January 10, 2013 PLANS were submitted this week to regenerate a site in London’s East End that has lain derelict for more than 30 years into a new £75m commercial hub. The proposed scheme, known as Shoreditch Village, will create 150,000 square feet of commercial-led space, including a 180-bed hotel, 20,000 sq ft of offices, 42,000 sq ft [...]