UK house prices hit new record high after growing at fastest rate in five years May 10, 2021 UK house prices grew at the fastest pace in five years last month as the stamp duty holiday continued to buoy the market. Average house prices in April reached a new record high of £258,204, an annual increase of 8.2 per cent and a monthly rise of 1.4 per cent. Almost £20,000 has been added [...]
UK business borrowing forecasts fall by £7bn on recovery hopes May 10, 2021 Forecasts for UK business borrowing have been slashed as the economy rebounds from the Covid-19 pandemic more quickly than anticipated. Banks are set to lend £19bn to British companies this year, up four per cent year on year but down from the £26bn forecast in February. Growth is set to slow further in 2022 to [...]
March was HSBC’s strongest mortgage completion month in more than 40 years May 6, 2021 HSBC handed out more mortgages in March than in any other month of more than 40 years offering home loans. In a sign of the recent boom in housing market activity, HSBC UK said March was its strongest ever month for mortgage completions, including deals for more than 3,000 first-time buyers. The bank declined to [...]
Mortgage lending rose to record £11.8bn in March after stamp duty extension May 4, 2021 UK mortgage lending saw the biggest net increase on record in March driven by extension of the stamp duty rax relief. Mortgage borrowing rose by a net £11.8bn in March, the strongest since the series began in April 1993, Bank of England figures show. The stamp duty holiday was originally due to end in March, [...]
City fund managers discuss post-pandemic opportunities, with NatWest, Lloyds and BP topping the list April 28, 2021 As the economy slowly recovers from what has been a dramatic year, and investors gradually dare to think again about growth and investment, City A.M. checked in with a number of prominent Square Mile-based fund mangers to find out where they spot opportunities as London’s investment community starts to shake off the pandemic. Banking, energy [...]
Metro Bank signals lending progress after slow start to the year April 28, 2021 Metro Bank said it is starting to see growth in consumer lending again, after a lockdown-led sluggish start to the year. Metro Bank saw a 17 per cent plunge in lending for the first quarter, with the company’s total net loans falling to £12.05bn for the first three months of 2020, versus £14.51bn a year earlier. [...]
HSBC profits surge to $5.8bn on Covid-19 recovery hopes April 27, 2021 Banking giant HSBC this morning announced a surging pre-tax profit of $5.78bn (£4.16bn) for the first quarter, up from $3.21bn a year ago and well above an average analyst forecast of $3.35bn. Revenue, however, fell five per cent to $13bn in the three months to 30 March as low interest rates in its main markets [...]
House prices: New build homebuyer demand explodes on England’s south coast and in Wales April 26, 2021 Homebuyer demand for new build homes has climbed 9 per cent in the last year, with coastal towns in the south of England and Wales leading the charge. Across Britain, 38.7 per cent of all new build homes are already sold subject to contract or under offer, a 9 per cent jump on the same [...]
Boost for first-time buyers as more ultra-low deposit mortgages hit the market April 24, 2021 In a further boost to first-time buyers, more lenders are bringing 5 per cent deposit mortgages onto the market. New deals announced by Metro Bank and Cambridge Building Society are not part of a new government-backed mortgage guarantee scheme which was launched this week to increase the availability of 5 per cent deposit loans. Major [...]
Taylor Wimpey sees strong housing demand as market continues recovery April 22, 2021 Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey today said that the housing market has remained healthy in 2021 after a surge in customer demand. Speaking in a trading update, Taylor Wimpey reported a net private sales rate for the year to 18 April of 1.00, compared to 0.90 in 2020. Its total order book value stood at around £2.81bn, [...]