Lump sum or regular saving, investing for children and how to go green: Your Isa guide to making the most of this year’s tax-free allowance March 24, 2023 With just under three weeks left until the end of the tax year, savers may still be considering how to use their annual tax-free Isa allowance. You can use your allowance whether you are looking at setting up a regular savings plan, or investing a lump sum, or even considering putting some cash aside for [...]
First Kingfisher now Wickes: DIY drop off dents profit for home improvement – but it’s not all bad news March 23, 2023 Wickes has seen a drop in profits for the year as consumers’ love for home improvements took a dent from rising costs, despite the company reporting ‘record’ sales. The DIY retailer posted pre-tax profits of £75.4m down from a “record” £85.0m in 2021 when Brits were engulfed in a number of circuit breaker lockdowns and [...]
Post-Brexit rules on capital for challenger banks will only hurt the industry more March 23, 2023 The last week of upheaval in the banking world is proof of the importance of a competitive landscape; we must do more to ensure a level playing field for smaller banking players, writes Karen Bradley One of Britain’s great economic success stories since the global financial crisis has been the emergence of a vibrant and [...]
London renters forking out ‘unseasonable’ £570 a week as supply of homes dwindles March 22, 2023 London rent prices have shown no sign of cooling in February, with renters in the capital now forking out up to £570 per week on affordable accommodation costs. According to figures by letting agent Foxtons, a limited pool of supply and challenging economic outlook has forced rent prices up five per cent in the capital [...]
UK house prices: Growth down while rents soar by their highest in seven years March 22, 2023 Private rent paid by tenants in the UK rose 4.7 per cent in the 12 months to February 2023, up from 4.4 per cent in the 12 months to January 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics which also reported that house prices increased 6.3 per cent in the same period. Annual private rent [...]
Superdry share price up three per cent after sale of Asian Pacific IP for £40m March 22, 2023 Struggling fashion brand Superdry has sold the intellectual property of its Asia Pacific offering to South Korean retail group Cowell Fashion Company for $50m (£40m) in a bid to boost funds. The deal will see Cowell own and sell the Superdry in the Asian market starting with its home market of South Korea and then [...]
Mini budget continues to wreak havoc on the UK housing market as annual sales dive 18 per cent March 21, 2023 UK property transactions fell four per cent in February as the fall out from last September’s mini budget continued to drive down the UK’s housing market. Sales of residential property fell 18 per cent during the year with just 76,920 transaction across the UK, as buyers were forced to deal with higher borrowing costs as [...]
B&Q owner Kingfisher’s profits slump nearly 40 per cent although Covid backlog may yet boost DIY chain’s bottom line March 21, 2023 B&Q owner Kingfisher reported a sales slowdown as the DIY giant felt the hit from Brits scaling back on home improvements. For the year ending 31 January 2023 Kingfisher, which also owns brands such as Screwfix, posted pre-tax profits of £611m, down 39.3 per cent from £1.7bn in the same period last year. As shoppers [...]
London house price growth slows, but you’ll still need over £1m to live in Camden, Kensington or Westminster March 20, 2023 The price of the average London home stood at £680,806, according to online estate agent Rightmove, which found that house prices in the capital rose 2.5 per cent compared to three per cent in Britain as a whole in the last 12 months. When looked at borough-by-borough, property prices fared differently. So while Camden residents [...]
Bank of England confirms AT1 bondholders priority over shareholders as it proclaims UK banks ‘safe and sound’ March 20, 2023 The Bank of England confirmed the pecking order in which investors would be paid out if a bank went bust as it sought to reassure markets about the stability of the UK’s financial system. In a statement released today, the UK central bank confirmed that alternative tier 1 (AT1) bondholders would be prioritised over shareholders [...]