PMI: House building shrinks for first time since beginning of pandemic July 6, 2022 A slowdown in the UK economy triggered by the cost of living crisis has led to house building stalling, a closely watched survey published today reveals. Activity in the UK house building sector dropped for the first time since May 2020, when the country was in the teeth of the most onerous pandemic restrictions, according [...]
Chairman of abrdn’s Chinese investment vehicle blames ‘zero-Covid-19’ policy for collapsing returns July 6, 2022 The chairman of abrdn’s Chinese investment vehicle has pinned collapsing returns on Beijing’s controversial ‘zero-Covid-19’ stance and geopolitical woes. While the country is still considered to have significant growth prospects in the long-term, returns on assets in the country have plunged 23 per cent in the six months to 30 April, reversing a nearly 19 [...]
M&G snaps up major stake in non-bank lender Finance Ireland July 6, 2022 London-listed M&G revealed it has snapped up a major stake in Ireland’s largest non-bank lender Finance Ireland today, as the international savings and investments firm looks to diversify and expand. FTSE-100 M&G has taken a 41 per cent stake in the firm, bosses said, with the investment made on behalf of the £143bn Prudential With [...]
Homeowners look to flog properties as UK house price growth slows July 6, 2022 Requests for property valuations have hit their highest since January, according to the latest research, as homeowners look to make the most out of the market while house prices are still hot. House price growth has been slowing since the beginning of the year, according to the country’s most watched indexes. While still breaking new [...]
doceo Watch List July 5, 2022 Discount Watch: 9 That’s the number of trusts whose discounts hit 52-week highs over the last seven days – an improvement on last week’s 14. Of the nine, three make an appearance for the second consecutive week: UK investor Diverse Income Trust (DIVI); Baillie Gifford European Growth (BGEU); and European big box investor Tritax EuroBox (EBOX). Sector-wise, property and private equity [...]
Boris Johnson’s plan for 50-year mortgages is outright ‘risky’ and solely aimed at inflating the market, warns property guru July 5, 2022 Boris Johnson’s latest proposal for the housing market is “another risky, spontaneous announcement aimed at temporarily inflating the housing market” according to the boss a major property firm. David Alexander, the chief executive officer of DJ Alexander Scotland, part of the Lomond Group, told City A.M. today he believes that the comments from the Prime [...]
Why locals prefer Aspen in the summertime July 5, 2022 Even from the air, it’s obvious Aspen isn’t quite like any other town. Situated at an elevation of 2,438m and surrounded on all sides by the snow-topped Rocky Mountains, this remote enclave even requires special pilot training to land at its tiny airport, dubbed one of the most dangerous in the world thanks to its [...]
Global Britain spreads its Brexit wings as UK retailers plan to expand overseas with EU and Australia favourites July 5, 2022 A range of British retail giants is eyeing to expand internationally as they are seeking to spread their wings amid a bounce-back in activity following the pandemic. Experts at real estate advisory firm Colliers said demand for UK locations from international firms has also lifted higher as shopper demand remains resilient despite fears over cost-of-living [...]
If money was no object: The City is by far Londoners’ most desirable borough July 2, 2022 One in five Londoners would want to live in the City, with the figure rising to 28% among those aged 18-34, according to new research shared exclusively with City A.M. today. The Square Mile is closely followed by Kensington and Chelsea, with 18 per cent of Londoners choosing the leafy and exclusive borough as their [...]
Mortgage costs expected to grow by another £2,500 as inflation spirals July 1, 2022 The cost of a mortgage is expected to grow by another £2,500 by the end of this year, in comparison with December 2021, according to property site Zoopla today. Economists anticipate “sharp” hikes to mortgage rates in the coming months, as the Bank of England seeks to tame spiralling inflation, which is already at 9.1 [...]