Natwest: FTSE 100 bank’s share price scoops ten-year high February 11, 2025 Shares in Natwest were touching a ten year high on Tuesday morning, ahead of the bank posting its annual results on Friday. At market open, share price was at 442.70p edging towards the high of 445.85p achieved in February 2015. The lender hit its highest share price since 2015 last month, and continued to rally [...]
Bellway: Housebuilder in recovery as share price ‘at odds’ with performance February 11, 2025 Housebuilder Bellway reported strong growth in home completions over the last six months, which analysts have said could be a sign the wider homebuilding sector is set for a recovery. The company reported an 11.9 per cent uptick in housing completions in the six months ended 31 January, with more than 4,500 properties completed with [...]
The end of stamp duty relief isn’t the only cost going up for first-time buyers February 11, 2025 First-time buyers (FTBs) are facing higher costs across the board as they grapple with not only high stamp duty fees, but a low stock of affordable houses, more stringent lending requirements and higher upfront costs. First and foremost, stamp duty relief is set to end on March 31, which has driven a significant boost in [...]
Home repossessions rise as higher interest rates bite borrowers February 10, 2025 The number of homeowners with mortgages facing repossession rose in the fourth quarter of 2024 as buyers struggled with higher interest rates. UK Finance figures show that repossessions rose 12 per cent in the last three months of 2024 compared to the previous year and were up 54 per cent yearly. Overall, 1,030 residential houses [...]
Bank shareholders eye returns as Barclays and Natwest report February 9, 2025 Shareholders in two of the UK’s biggest banks will be hoping for further returns next week as they shed light on recent trading amid an uncertain economic backdrop. Barclays and NatWest will lead a raft of annual results updates by UK banks, after a recent positive period for the sector. Shares in both firms have [...]
Week in Business: Growth hammer blow means Reeves must change course February 7, 2025 If the Chancellor was still on a high from last week’s big growth-focused speech, the Bank of England has just pulled her back down to earth and, for good measure, poured a bucket of cold water over her. This is a time for hard truths and none harder than the hammer-blow fact that the Bank [...]
Cost-cutting pays dividends at TSB as bank reports record year February 7, 2025 TSB's pretax profit increased to £290.4m, 22 per cent higher than the year before and a record since the bank returned to the high street in 2013.
House prices hit record high in January ahead of stamp duty deadline February 7, 2025 According to new data, the average UK house price hit a record high of £299,138 in January ahead of the loss of first-time buyer stamp duty relief in April. House prices rose 0.7 per month on month and three per cent year on year, with London retaining the highest average house price in the UK [...]
What the Bank of England interest rate cut means for your money February 6, 2025 Consumers need “careful financial planning in the months ahead” after the Bank of England cut interest rates on Thursday, wealth manager Quilter has warned. Financial planner at Quilter Holly Tomlinson said the 25 basis point cut will be “good news” for borrowers, whilst savers will be stung by lower returns on deposits. Tomlinson said: “Banks [...]
Grainger: Property giant benefits from higher rents and small landlord exits February 5, 2025 Property giant Grainger has reported double-digit growth in income driven by higher rents and the exit of private landlords from the rental market. Grainger, the UK’s largest listed provider of private rental homes, told markets this morning that total net rental income grew by 15 per cent in the four months to the end of [...]