Watkin Jones: Shares in property developer soar on return to profit January 23, 2025 Shares in Watkin Jones soared more than 13 per cent on Thursday after the property developer swung to profit in 2024. The London-listed firm reported £9.2m in pre-tax profit for the year ended September, up from a £2.9m loss the year prior. Basic earnings per share also swung to 3.5p, up from a loss of [...]
Could the Bank of England push the UK into recession? January 23, 2025 As the Bank of England scrambles to unwind the disastrous effects of quantitative easing, the hidden costs of this policy are becoming clear, says Damian Pudner Quantitative easing (QE) has long been the Bank of England’s monetary policy nuclear option. Launched in 2009 to save a collapsing financial system, it was supercharged during the pandemic, [...]
Inheritance tax on farms: Lidl, Tesco and Aldi join demands for consultation January 22, 2025 Supermarkets Lidl, Tesco and Aldi have added their names to calls for a consultation over the government’s reforms to inheritance tax, citing concerns the changes would dent farmer confidence and choke off investment. In an unusual string of interventions, the retailers rode to the defence of farmers’ calls to pause the changes to Agricultural Property [...]
London commuter towns named ‘financial resilience capitals’ of the UK January 22, 2025 From pension plans to retirement savings, new data has revealed the 'financial resilience capitals' of the UK.
Trump should read Javier Milei’s 2024 Davos speech January 22, 2025 This year, perhaps more than ever, the global gathering at Davos offers something of a safe space for those still reeling from the 47th President’s inauguration, his speech and subsequent flurry of Executive Orders. Sessions scheduled at this year’s World Economic Forum include Investing in Diversity, Safeguarding Nature, The Road to COP30, Equity Beyond Identity [...]
How much does tax really affect your decision making? January 22, 2025 From VAT on school fees to business taxes, we’re living through a live experiment with the effects of tax on people’s choices. Evidence suggests the results could be far from clear-cut, says Tim Sarson Last week, I was lucky enough to be on the panel for the Women in Tax network’s annual debate. The question [...]
More borrowers will be paying off mortgage debt into their 70s January 21, 2025 In the first nine months of 2024, 22,103 mortgages with a term of at least 35 years were approved to people aged over 36.
Rents in this part of London rose faster than anywhere else in the capital last year January 21, 2025 Shoreditch has claimed the crown as the most in-demand spot in the capital for renting, although the rate of increase still remains below 2022 levels. Rents in the trendy area, known for everything from tech start-ups to vintage clothes shops, climbed by 6.6 per cent per month in 2024. Across London as a whole, the [...]
FCA chair: Our growth push will test UK’s risk appetite January 20, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) push to slash red tape and unleash growth in the City will test the UK’s appetite for risk, its chair has warned, accepting that two of its new proposals could open the door to more fraud and mortgage defaults. Writing in City AM today, Ashley Alder said the FCA will [...]
FCA: Going for growth means taking risks January 20, 2025 Ashley Alder, chair of the Financial Conduct Authority, says the financial services sector has long recognised that effective regulation can be a powerful enabler of growth. The question now is not should we embrace risk, but how much? January is a time to reflect, re-balance and re-focus. And this year, the relationship between regulation and [...]