Shares in UK housebuilders slump as inflation woes increase prospect of rate hikes June 21, 2023 Shares in some of the UK’s biggest housebuilders closed down today after Berkeley Group warned that its sales could fall by up to 20 per cent as rising mortgage rates rock the housing market. Berkeley’s share price fell around 3 per cent this morning following its announcement, but recovered slightly closing down 1.56 per cent. [...]
UK inflation smashes forecasts again raising chances of larger Bank of England interest rate hike June 21, 2023 UK inflation is still outpacing experts’ predictions and is running at a level that could lure the Bank of England into an outsized interest rate hike tomorrow, heaping more pain on families and businesses. Official figures out this morning from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the rate of price hikes held steady at [...]
PMQs sketch: Nothing’s funny about the economy, stupid June 21, 2023 Of course Rishi Sunak can’t bail out mortgage holders, but he doesn’t want to hear about it.
Revealed: The London constituencies that will be worst hit by mortgage rate rises June 21, 2023 Mortgage holders in London and the Southeast are set to be the worst hit by the “crippling” mortgage rate rises on the horizon, new data shows. The top twenty areas of the country set to see the highest increase in their mortgage repayments increase are concentrated around the capital and the commuter belt, according to [...]
Housing market a ‘ticking time bomb’ as prices slow amid mortgage mayhem June 21, 2023 The housing market has slowed amid the mortgage crisis, with experts warning it is like a “ticking time bomb” before it crashes. This morning’s House Price Index from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show average UK house prices increased 3.5 per cent in the 12 months to April 2023, but this was down from [...]
FTSE 100 close: London’s markets close in the red after inflation shock sends shivers through market June 21, 2023 London’s indexes closed in the red on Wednesday after yet another higher than expected inflation reading earlier this morning. The FTSE 100 closed 0.1 per cent lower at 7,559.18 while the FTSE 250, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, sunk 0.9 per cent to 18,571.45. Official figures out this morning [...]
Berkeley warns planning rules and ‘regulatory uncertainty’ weighing down housebuilding goals June 21, 2023 Housebuilder Berkeley has warned the delivery of new properties is under threat from the planning environment and regulatory uncertainty, as it reported near 10 per cent profits before tax this year. More than 4,000 homes were delivered by the firm with over 85 per cent being on regenerated Brownfield land. It also said it’s delivering [...]
FTSE 100 close: Interest rate concerns linger as NatWest heads lower June 20, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 struggled for gains today as investors took a cautious approach before the Bank of England’s expected 13th straight interest rate rise on Thursday. The capital’s premier index shed 0.25 per cent to close at 7,569.30 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the [...]
Hunt to discuss support with mortgage lenders as repayments crisis looms June 20, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to meet with mortgage lenders to discuss support for homeowners as a repayments crisis looms. Various calls have been made for the government to step in to help struggling borrowers – but Hunt said ministers would not provide financial support which would fuel inflation. Average costs for a two-year fixed-rate [...]
Why arrears will tick up but banks will not be threatened by rising mortgage costs June 20, 2023 Arrears will tick up as interest rates rise but banks will not have to deal with a major credit event, experts at ratings agencies told City AM. Mortgage rates have spiralled in recent weeks as a result of stubbornly high inflation, meaning consumers will have to pay thousands of pounds a month more for their [...]