How Rightmove became London’s (and the FTSE 100’s) most profitable company September 3, 2024 From an unknown tech start-up to the undisputed king of the UK’s online property sector, Rightmove is a shining example of how to turn a simple idea into a whole lot of profit. In its most recent full-year results, the London-listed property portal astounded investors by revealing it had achieved a record 71 per cent operating profit margin – [...]
Completions to fall at Barratt amid flurry of updates from housebuilders September 1, 2024 Barratt Developments is expected to report a fall in home completions, but profits just ahead of previous expectations, amid a week of financial updates from UK housebuilders. The company, which is Britain’s biggest housebuilder, reports its annual results on Wednesday September 4, with updates from Vistry and Berkeley Group in the following days. Barratt said in July [...]
Mortgage borrowing hits highest level in nearly two years August 30, 2024 The amount of mortgage debt Brits took on in July reached its highest level since November 2022 in another sign that consumer confidence is returning. Brits borrowed £2.8bn of mortgage debt in July, the highest since £.2bn in November 2022 and up from £2.6bn in June, according to the latest Money and Credit data from [...]
House prices dip unexpectedly as interest rates continue to dampen demand August 30, 2024 House prices dipped unexpectedly for the first time since April this month, but a closely watched survey today suggests that the outlook for the property market is likely to strengthen as interest rates are reined in. In its closely watched house price index today, mortgage lender Nationwide said British house prices slipped by 0.2 per [...]
Price of the average London home on the rise as UK demand rockets August 28, 2024 The ‘average’ London home will now set you back more than £530,000 after house prices in the capital increased for the first time since April 2023, according to figures released today. Data from Zoopla’s latest house price index revealed that London property prices were up 0.2 per cent year on year in the first seven [...]
Consumer confidence unchanged in August despite worsening outlook August 23, 2024 Consumer confidence remained unchanged in August, a closely watched survey suggested, despite a deterioration in households’ expectations for the broader economy. GfK’s overall consumer confidence index remained at -13 with an improving picture on the personal finance side helping to offset worsening confidence in the economy as a whole. This meant overall consumer confidence remained [...]
‘Buyer buzz’: Outlook raised for UK house prices after interest rates cut August 19, 2024 Property portal Rightmove has said there is a “degree of buyer buzz” in the housing market, caused by the moderation in mortgages in light of the Bank of England’s decision to cut the base interest rate. It raised its house price forecast for 2024 from negative one percent to one per cent, citing more interest [...]
Bank of England: Government names economist Alan Taylor as new rate-setter August 16, 2024 The government has appointed economist and Columbia University professor Alan Taylor to the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
Savills: Bank of Mum and Dad to pay out almost £30bn over the next three years August 16, 2024 First-time buyers will receive almost £30bn in financial support from their parents over the next three years as the housing ladder slips increasingly out of reach for independent young buyers. Gifts and loans from the Bank of Mum and Dad totalled £9.4bn in 2023, according to the latest analysis from property firm Savills. This figure [...]
OneSavings Bank shares tumble as rising mortgage competition prompts guidance downgrade August 15, 2024 Shares in FTSE 250 lender OneSavings Bank (OSB) dropped as much as 19 per cent on Thursday after the group lowered its forecasts for the full year on the back of rising competition in the mortgage market.