Halifax house prices: UK house price growth continues shrinks to its lowest since December August 6, 2015 Growth in UK house prices dipped to 7.9 per cent in the year to July, the lowest figure since December 2014, figures published by Halifax this morning showed. On a quarterly basis, prices grew 2.4 per cent, lower than June's 3.3 per cent, while the monthly figure fell by 0.6 per cent – its first [...]
Mortgage rates start to climb off record lows August 4, 2015 MORTGAGE rates are creeping up, ending years of decline and raising affordability fears for young homeowners. Rates on a two-year fixed-rate mortgage currently go as low as 1.05 per cent, according to MoneySuperMarket. But the comparison website is urging people to remortgage as there are signs lenders are starting to raise rates. First Direct offered [...]
Rate hikes: How can you protect your investments? July 28, 2015 Bonds may be bashed but equities could be winners if the Federal Reserve moves this autumn As the Federal Reserve convenes once again this week to discuss whether interest rates should be raised from their rock-bottom lows, many investors are sounding out the potential implications of a rate hike on their portfolios. Pressure [...]
Housing market starting to “hot up” as mortgage approvals soar to a 15-month high July 24, 2015 The housing market is beginning to heat up again as mortgage approvals rose for the sixth consecutive month in June, taking them to a 15-month high. Figures released today by the British Bankers Association showed the number of mortgage approvals rose to 44,488 last month, from 42,876 in May. Remortgaging rose 20 per cent in the [...]
Best of the Brokers for 20 July 2015 July 19, 2015 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com DIXONS CARPHONE Numis reiterated its “add” rating on the retailer, noting that the group posted strong underlying profit growth during 2015, “a period of significant corporate change” as the broker described it. Numis added that the merger process continues to run smoothly and [...]
London and UK house prices rise: First-time buyers face stiffest competition as average home in capital hits £615,115 July 16, 2015 London house prices climbed 7.8 per cent over the past 12 months, new figures show, with demand outstripping supply most heavily in the first-time buyer market. The average greater London house price is currently £615,115, according to data published today by Rightmove. Properties at the top end of the market have seen the biggest 12-month [...]
Mortgage lending up by 29 per cent in June as political uncertainty ends July 16, 2015 The amount of money lent to UK home buyers in June showed a significant rise compared to May as political uncertainties waned, according to new figures Read more: UK house price growth slows to lowest rate in over a year Gross mortgage lending rose 29 per cent compared with May, climbing to an estimated £20.5bn, according [...]
US corporate results round up July 14, 2015 Yum Brands The owner of Pizza Hut and KFC reported its fourth straight quarter of falling sales as it struggles to recover from a food scandal in China, where the firm makes most of its profit. Shares in Yum Brands fell about one per cent to $91 in extended trading yesterday. The company’s sales in [...]
London rents climb higher as affordability falls across the UK July 14, 2015 London rents increased in the three months ending June, new figures show, as housing affordability continues to decline. Average London rents were 4.5 per cent higher over the period compared with the same period last year, according to figures released today from Rightmove. UK rents excluding London climbed 4.2 per cent. Rightmove’s head of lettings [...]
RBS share price falls as it could face $13bn penalty over mortgage-backed securities July 3, 2015 Royal Bank of Scotland has been told it could face a $13bn (£8.3bn) bill over its behaviour before the 2008 crisis, causing shares to fall 2.1 per cent in mid-morning trading. The 79 per cent taxpayer-owned bank is involved in a long running case in a Connecticut court over how it packaged mortgage bonds and [...]