House price growth plummets to lowest level in a decade as confidence and costs see off buyers March 1, 2023 House price growth has plummeted to its lowest in more than a decade as a cocktail of high borrowing costs, inflation and low confidence has deterred buyers. Properties dropped in value by -1.1 per cent year on year in February, according to Nationwide’s House Price Index, down from 1.1 per cent the previous month. This [...]
Persimmon warns of housing market uncertainty despite £200m revenue hike March 1, 2023 Persimmon Homes reported a an increase in revenues during the full year ending December 2022, but admitted the UK housing market “remains uncertain”. The London-listed house-building company saw its revenues increase by £.3.8bn, from £3.6bn the previous year. Underlying operating profit jumped four per cent year on year to over £1bn, from £973m in 2021. [...]
Santander shares soar five per cent as lender bets on Europe to boost pay-outs and ‘ambitious’ profit targets February 28, 2023 Santander plans to return half its profits to shareholders after announcing “ambitious” profitability targets for the next three years. The Spanish banking giant said it was betting on customer growth and higher interest rates in Europe to boost its revenue. Santander has previously relied on its Latin American presence to offset the tough conditions experienced [...]
Ocado not for you: Three reasons why online grocer’s results may not be as bad as they seem February 28, 2023 Ocado’s crown as the online food retailer which keeps the middle classes stocked in organic essentials has been threatening to slip for a while now. As one of the companies which sits at the ‘higher-end’ of the online supermarket price point the rising cost of living, not to mention higher mortgage interest rates, was expected [...]
Brits forced to cut £14,000 off house prices to achieve sale, new data reveals February 28, 2023 Brits are being forced to accept an average cut of £14,000 on the price of their homes to achieve a sale, according to new Zoopla HPI figures.
Total UK housing wealth breaches £7 trillion for first time amid ‘race for space’ February 27, 2023 Net UK housing wealth exceeded £7 trillion for the first time last year, according to calculations from an estate agent. The total value of UK homes reached £8.68 trillion at the end of 2022, Savills said. With outstanding mortgage debt standing at £1.66 trillion, according to Bank of England records, Savills calculated that net housing [...]
Week ahead: Bank of England speak to dominate agenda as investors look for clues on interest rate path February 26, 2023 Investors will be parsing over a string of speeches from top Bank of England rate setters this week for clues on whether the central bank is close to ending its aggressive campaign to tame inflation. Ben Broadbent, a deputy governor at the Bank, kicks off a busy week of central banker speech at Threadneedle Street’s [...]
Priti Patel calls on Jeremy Hunt to stop planned corporation tax rise February 25, 2023 Former home secretary Priti Patel has urged the Chancellor to use his Budget next month to halt the planned corporation tax rise. The senior Conservative has argued that “now is not the time” for an increase in the tax on big business. In plans agreed while she served in Boris Johnson’s cabinet, corporation tax is [...]
Pensions better than property? And, how a nudge might make you wealthier in later life February 24, 2023 The property boom of the last few decades has given rise to the idea of a home not just as a castle, but as bonafide crock of gold which can be used as an alternative to a pension. Pension provider Standard Life has carried out research that shows how different generations are answering the age-old [...]
Klarna: Late fees are in the interests of consumers taking on too much debt February 24, 2023 A banker will lend you his umbrella but only on a sunny day, as the maxim goes. When it rains, he’ll want it back. Well, it’s pouring outside and consumers are seeking shelter from the rising cost of heating, electricity, petrol, food and mortgages. Credit card borrowing is at its highest since 2004 and credit [...]