House prices will fall by two per cent this year – the most since the financial crisis June 1, 2026 House prices will fall by two per cent for the first time since the financial crisis this year, according to Savills, which warned mortgage hikes as a result of the Iran war had “fundamentally changed the outlook for the housing market”. The property giant was forced to revise down its property price forecast for 2026 [...]
Bank of England’s Bailey: Interest rates hike may not be needed May 29, 2026 The Bank of England may not raise interest rates in response to the Iran war and has already effectively tightened monetary policy by taking the prospect of future rate cuts off the table, governor Andrew Bailey has said. In a speech in Iceland, the central banking chief said that inflation is “likely to go higher” [...]
Natwest and Barclays sweeten mortgage costs as Iran peace hopes ease interest rate fears May 29, 2026 Natwest and Barclays have become the latest lenders to sweeten up their mortgage deals, as hopes remain high that a peace deal will be reached in the Middle East that would bring calm to the interest rate environment. Both lenders have unveiled reductions in mortgage rates, with Barclays cutting its rates across the board by [...]
KBRA Releases Research – Spanish RPL RMBS: Resilient Performance and an Established Asset Class May 29, 2026 KBRA releases research that examines the key characteristics of Spanish reperforming loan (RPL) residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) transactions rated by KBRA, focusing on factors that may influence credit performance as the transactions season. The report also discusses the composition of the underlying mortgage portfolios, including restructuring profiles, arrears trends, pay rates, leverage, seasoning, and kept-rate [...]
KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to Oban Cards 2026-1 PLC May 28, 2026 KBRA UK (KBRA) assigns preliminary ratings to five classes of notes to be issued under the Oban master trust structure, a UK credit card ABS programme backed by receivables originated and serviced by Vanquis Bank Limited (Vanquis Bank, the Company or the Servicer). The issuance relates to Series 2026-1 (the Series), which will be issued [...]
SpaceX helps Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust take off May 27, 2026 Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust revealed the extent of the success of its early backing for Elon Musk’s SpaceX on Wednesday. The buy-and-hold investor’s stake in the rocket maker now amounts to about a fifth of the £16bn fund, as revealed in its results for the year to the end of March. Overall, SMT’s net asset value [...]
End quantitative tightening now May 26, 2026 Ending active quantitative tightening is not monetary loosening. The Bank must stop adding avoidable pressure to the gilt market.
KBRA Releases Research – European Data Centre Event—KBRA Event Recap May 22, 2026 KBRA releases a recap of its European Data Centre Event in London on 20 May, bringing together sector experts, investors, issuers, operators, bankers, and other market participants for an afternoon of discussions on the key themes shaping the European data centre landscape. The programme focused on how artificial intelligence (AI)-driven demand, power availability, development constraints, [...]
Investec eyes City hiring spree in major move into UK private banking May 21, 2026 Investec, the FTSE 250 financier, has unveiled plans to boost its UK private bank in a major strategic move that will include hiring new talent in the City. The expansion will boost its banking presence in London, as it seeks out wealthy clients for what will become a ‘full service primary bank”. It has identified [...]
Over half of house moves fall through after an offer is accepted – costing £2bn per year May 21, 2026 More than half of UK house moves fall through after an offer has been accepted, costing the UK £2bn every year in wasted time and fees. Failed house moves could cost the economy £1.97bn per year because around 1.2m residential transactions occur each year and the average fall-through costs buyers and sellers £2,830 in legal [...]