House price growth dips as UK housing value increases by £1.8 trillion in 10 years December 8, 2015 The value of the UK's housing stock has jumped by £1.8 trillion in the past decade, research by Halifax showed today. UK homes are now worth £5.1 trillion, a 53 per cent jump from £3.3 trillion in 2005. That's a £76,316 rise for each home in the UK. The news came as Halifax reported annual house price [...]
House price growth to slow across the country in 2016 December 3, 2015 ANNUAL house price growth nationally is expected to slow to between 4 per cent and 6 per cent by the end of 2016, according to economists at the Halifax. The slowdown is being blamed on the increasing difficulty in getting on the housing ladder, as well as the looming prospect of an interest rate rise [...]
Autumn Statement 2015 buy-to-let advice for landlords: After the chancellor’s stamp duty hike, what should investors do? November 27, 2015 The chancellor's announcement of a three per cent stamp duty levy on non-primary residences – specifically buy-to-let investments and second homes – caught many by surprise. This change is an incredibly blunt instrument to deal with a complex set of housing market issues. In principle, it will reduce the competition between first-time buyers and investors for many [...]
City A.M. Awards 2015 Business Personality of the Year winner Tony Pidgley, the co-founder of the Berkeley Group has a true rags-to-riches tale November 26, 2015 When it comes to determining the key to his success in life, Tony Pidgley puts it down to a good dose of common sense, a splash of luck and the life lesson his first lorry taught him when he was 15 and the engine blew up. His main means of earning his keep – transporting [...]
Autumn Statement 2015: George Osborne’s speech transcript in full including stamp duty, business rates and corporation tax announcements November 25, 2015 Mr Speaker, this Spending Review delivers on the commitment we made to the British people that we would put security first. To protect our economic security, by taking the difficult decisions to live within our means and bring down our debt. To protect our national security, by defending our country’s interests abroad and keeping our [...]
Nationwide continues run of good form as it reports pre-tax profits up a third November 20, 2015 Nationwide building society continues to benefit from a strong housing market and customers switching current accounts, posting pre-tax profits up by a third. The figures Pre-tax profits for the six months to 30 September rose by 34 per cent to £802m, up from £598 in the same period a year ago. There were more than [...]
Challenger bank Aldermore looking as safe as houses in third quarter results, as residential mortgages push up lending, but share price drops November 12, 2015 Aldermore has today reported loan growth of about £1bn over the last nine months, bringing total net loans to customers to £5.8bn, an increase of 20 per cent from the end of December. In its third-quarter results for 2015, the challenger bank, which was set up by former Barclays executive Phillip Monks, said it was on [...]
Barratt Developments shares fall despite 20 per cent jump in sales November 11, 2015 Shares in Barratt Developments fell this morning despite Britain’s biggest housebuilder reporting a strong start to the autumn selling season thanks to “high levels of consumer demand” across all regions. Forward sales (including joint ventures) jumped by 20.7 per cent to £2.5bn across 11,033 plots in the 19 weeks to 8 November compared with £2.07bn [...]
Easy does it: How to find value in the new normal November 10, 2015 October's relief rally in equity markets should have provided just that – relief. The trouble is that, with positions washed out, sentiment still fragile and macro data still mixed, few participated fully in the move and many simply didn’t believe in it. Many commentators – bullish and bearish alike – appear very happy to [...]
UK house prices: Persimmon share price falls despite jump in sales November 4, 2015 Are housebuilders finally feeling the heat? FTSE-listed builder Persimmon reported a 12 per cent sales hike in the third quarter this morning – but shares continued to slide after the sector had a spot of bother with a broker yesterday. The figures Sales were 12 per cent higher in the period since it reported its half year results on [...]