UK and London house prices: The disastrous new tax on buy to let landlords is really a tax on tenants April 6, 2017 Theresa May stood on the steps of Number 10 Downing Street last summer and pledged to help those “just about managing” families and build “a country that works for everyone”. After a divisive referendum campaign and a period of political turmoil, it was a reassuring message. Tackling Britain’s housing crisis was quickly identified as one [...]
London must take a leaf from Hong Kong’s book to thrive amid Brexit uncertainty April 4, 2017 With Article 50 signed, sealed and delivered, we are heading into a new chapter of uncertainty. And this is the reason why, after 20 years building my career as an entrepreneur and investor in Hong Kong and Asia, I am uprooting and returning to London. I have seen first-hand how Hong Kong has evolved since [...]
Imagination Technologies’ warning from Apple: What the analysts say as share price crashes 70 per cent April 3, 2017 Imagination Technologies has gone from potential takeover target by Apple to being warned by the tech giant that its technology will be dropped from future devices. The UK company, which derives around half of its business from its licensing to Apple, indicated that it believes that Apple does not have the capabilities to create its [...]
Imagination Technologies Group (IMG) share price crashes as it gears up for a battle with Apple: US tech giant says it no longer needs British firm’s intellectual property April 3, 2017 British tech firm Imagination Technologies has revealed that Apple, its biggest customer, could end royalty payments for the use of its intellectual property in two years time. Shares in Imagination dropped by 63.2 per cent at the open and 45 minutes into morning trading were down 70 per cent. Imagination’s share price has plunged this [...]
Commercial property investment in London’s West End hits record high of £1.93bn in the first quarter of 2017 April 3, 2017 Commercial property investment in London’s West End has hit a record high of £1.93bn in the first quarter of 2017, driven by buyers from Hong Kong. According to Cushman & Wakefield (C&W), the figure is up by 22 per cent on the five-year first quarter average, surpassing the West End’s previous record of £1.8bn in [...]
Article 50 and sport: What triggering of Brexit process could mean for Britain’s sport industry, from player transfers to stadium projects and intellectual property March 28, 2017 The highly-anticipated triggering of Article 50 is now upon us and, on Wednesday, the UK will begin the two-year untangling process from the European Union. But what impact will this have on the UK’s sports industry which last year, according to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, contributed more than £35bn to the British [...]
Active versus passive: What Warren Buffett really thinks about passive fund management March 28, 2017 We are all familiar with the famous investment market phrase “in the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine”. Some may know that this is attributed to Benjamin Graham, the British-born US investor, economist and professor recognised as the “father of value investing”. Fewer [...]
There are 10 buyers for every property, propping up house prices March 21, 2017 Low supply is propping up the housing market as it has been rocked by property tax changes and uncertainty over the UK consumer's spending power. There are now 10 buyers for every property on sale in England and Wales, which Haart estate agents said was a "gap that is set to widen". House prices grew 2.6 per [...]
Forbes rich list: Bill Gates tops the pile, Warren Buffett gains, Trump slumps March 20, 2017 Bill Gates is the richest person in the world for the fourth year in a row with a fortune of $86bn (£68bn), according to Forbes' annual rich list. The Microsoft co-founder, a noted philanthropist, grew his wealth by $11bn during 2016. He has been the richest person on the planet for 18 out of the last 23 [...]
Classic cars, booze and planes: FCA gives investors in HNW Lending tax-free status March 20, 2017 A peer-to-peer lender offering a high-net-worth pawnbroking service has been given the green light by regulators to market a specialist type of Isa to investors. HNW Lending connects borrowers with valuable assets to investors seeking a greater rate of return. Borrowers must hand over their assets, which in the past have included classic cars, planes or [...]