China soft data signals economic recovery running out of steam May 16, 2023 China’s April industrial output and retail sales growth undershot forecasts, suggesting the economy lost momentum at the beginning of the second quarter and intensifying pressure on policymakers to shore up a wobbly post-Covid-19 recovery. Tuesday’s batch of data, which also showed a further decline in property investment, adds to concerns about the outlook for the [...]
British farmers to be given greater protections in future trade deals May 16, 2023 Farmers are to be given greater protections in future trade deals as part of a package of measures unveiled ahead of a No 10 food summit. Downing Street said the government’s initiatives, as well as putting greater emphasis on farmers’ interests during international trade negotiations, include reviewing supply chains to ensure producers are getting a [...]
Leaving the ‘Wild West’ behind as we head towards next generation crypto exchanges May 14, 2023 MaskEx's Ben Caselin says that, to unlock Bitcoin’s full potential, the next generation of exchanges must lead the way.
Why Madonna, George Clooney and British royals are flocking to Portugal’s Comporta, the new St Tropez May 13, 2023 A-Listers and royalty are moving to Portugal’s secret coastline, to the villages of Comporta and Melides, so get in now, says Adam Bloodworth To steal a commonly-used phrase from Gen Z, Comporta is popping off. Foreign investors have been quietly moving here in their droves over the past decade, encouraged no doubt by the iconic [...]
Mortgages: How the BoE’s twelfth consecutive rate rise will affect homeowners May 11, 2023 Homeowners on tracker mortgages could see their annual bills increase by £5,008 a year following the Bank of England’s twelfth consecutive rate rise on Thursday, though analysts have said the latest rise will not have a substantial impact on the housing market. The monetary policy committee (MPC) voted 7-2 in favour of raising borrowing costs [...]
Wealthy splurge £3.1bn on luxury London homes as demand recovers after pandemic May 11, 2023 London’s mega wealthy splurged £3.1bn on 161 luxury homes across the capital’s most affluent boroughs in the year to 23 March – the strongest year for London’s luxury property market since the Brexit vote. The highest number of £10 million-plus deals in London took place in Kensington, Belgravia and Mayfair, where the rich bought 73 [...]
Scandal-stricken Home REIT set to appoint property giant as new investment manager May 10, 2023 Embattled social housing investor Home REIT is set to appoint property giant AEW as its new investment manager as it looks to move on from a string of scandals over the past seven months, City A.M. has learned.
London life: Why even the wealthy are paying more, as cost of renting in hot spots soars May 9, 2023 The wealthy are not immune to the capital’s strained housing market with rent in prime London locations including Chelsea and Mayfair rising 50 per cent in just two years due to a lack of supply. The average rent of premier London pads grew by 50 per cent in the 24 months to April, according to [...]
Civitas agrees to ‘undervalued’ £485m takeover following wave of criticism from press and shortseller May 9, 2023 London-listed social housing investor Civitas revealed it had struck an “undervalued” deal to sell itself to a Hong Kong property giant today as it looks to escape a barrage of criticism from short sellers and the media.
Mortgages: Are 100 per cent no deposit loans about to make a comeback? May 9, 2023 One of the UK’s largest building societies is considering launching a no deposit, or 100 per cent loan to value mortgage. Mortgages which do not need a downpayment, or deposit, were phased out after the financial crisis. Although 100 per cent or zero deposit mortgages have been available since 2009, lenders will only offer them [...]