Savills hit by slowdown in sales despite uptick in profits August 14, 2025 Real estate giant Savills recorded a slowdown in sales in the first half of the year as investors digested the implications of tariffs, but recorded strong results. The real estate giant delivered a 6 per cent increase in revenue to £1.1bn in the six months to end June. Underlying profit rose by 10 per cent [...]
London ‘staring down the barrel’ of £2bn hit from higher business rates August 14, 2025 London is set to take a massive blow from changes to business rates when the tax increases next April. Business rates could rise by an estimated 26 per cent across the capital, from £9bn to £11bn, according to the Heart of London Business Alliance (HOLBA). “Businesses in the West End and across London are staring [...]
Beazley: Shares slump after profit falls August 13, 2025 Shares in Lloyd’s of London insurance group Beazley fell more than 11 per cent after the company reported a sharp drop in profit for the first half of 2025. Beazley reported a profit before tax of $502.5m (£371.9m) for the six months ending 30 June 2025, down from the $728.9m reported in the first half [...]
Labour warned tightening inheritance tax would ‘stymie growth’ August 13, 2025 Plans to tighten inheritance tax rules on gifting and passing assets on to family members before death would damage UK growth and could lead to “regret” within the government, Labour has been warned. Treasury officials are reportedly considering changing rules which allow Brits to pass on assets to younger family members over seven years before [...]
House prices in top catchment areas soar as parents race to bag places August 13, 2025 House prices in top primary and secondary school catchment areas are now nearly 50 per cent more expensive than the average as competition intensifies amid an increase in private school fees. The average price of a home in the catchment areas of the top 50 primary and top 50 secondary schools in the UK is [...]
Sir Rocco Forte enjoys record pay day after hotels empire deal August 13, 2025 The hotels group founded by Sir Rocco Forte has issued a record dividend for the first full year after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) became a major shareholder. Rocco Forte Hotels has paid out dividends totalling £8.9m for the year to 30 April, 2025, to its shareholders. The international hotels group, which is headquartered in [...]
Pool Re: The UK’s secret weapon of insuring against terrorism August 13, 2025 When the private insurance market buckled under the threat of terrorism, the government stepped in to ensure that businesses would not be left alone
KKR snubbed as Assura shareholders vote through PHP bid August 12, 2025 Investors in NHS landlord Assura have voted to accept a bid from its London-listed rival Primary Health Properties, bringing an end to a bitterly fought takeover battle between PHP and private equity behemoth KKR. As many as 63 per cent of Assura’s shareholders voted to approve the £1.8bn cash and equity offer from PHP, accepting [...]
Newcastle Red Bulls: Energy drinks titan can lead rugby renaissance in north August 12, 2025 Red Bull has been tipped to lead a rugby “renaissance in a football heartland” after purchasing Prem Rugby team Newcastle Falcons and enacting a rebrand. Newcastle Red Bulls will join a wider sporting portfolio which includes a Formula 1 team and a string of majority – such as Leipzig – and minority – including Leeds [...]
Average age of first-time buyer in London hits 35 August 12, 2025 The average age of Brits buying their first homes has surged over the past two decades as house prices have risen faster than wages. The average age of a first-time buyer in London was 31 in the mid-2000s, but it has since risen to nearly 35, according to new research from Conveyancing Solicitor. Property expert [...]