London house prices have fallen for the first time in eight years says Nationwide’s house price index for September September 29, 2017 Year-on-year house prices in the capital have dropped for the first time in eight years, according to Nationwide’s latest house price index. Prices in the capital dropped to an average price of £471,761 this month, down 0.6 per cent compared with September last year. That makes London the weakest performing region for the first time [...]
London house prices are still at risk of a bubble, according to this wealth manager September 28, 2017 London’s property market is still firmly in “bubble-risk” territory, one of the UK’s largest wealth managers has warned, as it ranked the capital’s housing market as one of the most vulnerable in Europe. Investors should take caution in the capital’s housing market, UBS Wealth Management said, as it published its Global Real Estate Bubble Index [...]
Tekcapital’s Lucyd launches $10m blockchain funding round to develop its augmented reality glasses September 28, 2017 Augmented reality glasses may still seem like a thing of the future, but a portfolio company of Aim-listed Tekcapital has today announced a $10m (£7.46m) funding round to manufacture its prototype spectacles. The gadgets, which look like average glasses, incorporate transparent displays and eye-tracking technology so the wearer sees digital pop ups related to what [...]
A life off-grid with no energy bills is closer than you think. Here’s what the future has in store for sustainable homes September 26, 2017 "Right," says eco-developer Sam Budhdeo, rubbing his hands together. “We think we have the solution to climate change.” As openers go, it’s a bold one, but not quite as outlandish as it sounds. The housebuilder who successfully cracks the code to building sustainably – and affordably – would be solving a large part of the [...]
London house prices won’t start rising until after Brexit, according to experts September 26, 2017 Prime house prices in the capital will not begin to rise until after Brexit, analysis by upmarket estate agent Savills has suggested. House prices in prime central London will fall 3.2 per cent this year and stay flat next year, before climbing two per cent in 2019, according to Savills’ five-year forecast. Meanwhile, sellers across [...]
Finance: How it made civilization possible September 22, 2017 What is finance, where does it come from, and why does it matter? William N. Goetzmann, of the Yale School of Management, addressed these questions in his presentation at the 62nd Annual Financial Analysts Seminar. He led participants on a tour through financial history, illuminating distinctive artefacts that demonstrate the critical role finance has [...]
The world’s first ever insurtech IPO has raised $1.5bn September 22, 2017 The world’s first float of an insurance technology (insurtech) firm has raised US $1.5bn (£1.1bn). Monday’s IPO of ZhongAn Online Property & Casualty Insurance has been priced at the top of its indicated range at HK $59.70, sources told the Financial Times. The public offering of the online-only group marks the world’s first float of [...]
UK house prices: Property transactions fell again last month September 21, 2017 The number of homes bought and sold in the UK fell again between July and August, providing further evidence the property market is beginning to stagnate. On a seasonally adjusted basis, property transactions fell 0.5 per cent between July and August to 103,490, figures by HM Revenues and Customs (HMRC) showed. Although the figure is [...]
Why Paris is on the up: tourism, transport and Brexit September 21, 2017 As Global Cities bloggers and property investors, we track a whole range of factors when compiling the Schroders Global Cities index. Strong tourism and improving transport links are among the essential ingredients for improving a city’s prospects and therefore its attraction to commercial real estate investors. Paris, ranked 16th in the index, is worthy of [...]
How world stock markets have performed in the 10 years since the financial crisis September 21, 2017 It is hard to believe that a decade has passed since the start of the global financial crisis. The 10th anniversary of the run on Northern Rock fell earlier this month. But the crisis was already well underway at that stage. It was the August of 2017 when French bank BHP Paribas suspended three funds [...]