Cartier owner Richemont share price drops as it reports Christmas sales fall for the first time since 2008 January 14, 2016 Richemont, the owner of luxury brands Cartier, Mont Blanc and fashion house Chloe, has reported sales over the Christmas period fell for the first time since 2008. The world's second biggest luxury goods group's share price fell too: down 2.9 per cent to CHF63.55 (Swiss francs) as markets opened. The figures Revenue, at constant currency rates, fell four per [...]
Britain needs an industrial house-building revolution to tackle housing market failure January 14, 2016 The world is moving from uncertainty to instability. Economic, political and social “flashpoints” include the United States, EU, China, North Korea and the Middle East. While the UK has sensible economic goals – 2.5 per cent growth, 2 per cent inflation, £1 trillion of exports by 2020 and improved public finances – progress is mixed. [...]
House prices: UK outpaced London as prime central property prices dropped last year January 14, 2016 House prices in central London fell by 8.7 per cent last year as higher stamp duty bills hit demand for £1.5m-plus homes, new research shows. Estate agents Your Move and Reeds Rains said prices dropped sharply in the capital’s five most expensive boroughs, dragging the annual rate of growth in London to 5.6 per cent, [...]
Record Powerball jackpot: Five things you can spend £1bn on January 13, 2016 The US Powerball winner (if there's only one) will receive a record jackpot of $1.5bn. That's about £1bn. If you're stuck for what you would spend it on, here's some tips. 1.Build a couple of Shards The contract cost of the Shard had set the developers back £435m by the time it was completed in 2012. 2.Buy a challenger [...]
Buying a house? It will only takes you 53 minutes to decide whether to go for it January 13, 2016 It's one of the most important, and expensive, decisions you will make, but most of us only take 53 minutes to decide whether to buy a house according to a new survey. UK house-buyers are more pensive than a year ago, the same survey by eMoov.co.uk in 2014 revealed people only needed 38 minutes to [...]
Where to invest in property in 2016: The 14 European cities better to invest in than London January 13, 2016 London's reputation as one of the best places to invest in property has slipped, according to a new report, as investors look towards rapidly changing smaller cities with more opportunities for growth. The capital has slipped to number 15 in the ranking of cities in the emerging trends in real estate report from PwC and [...]
London house prices: Your home is paying off your annual commute in around a fortnight if you live in Surbiton, Tandridge, Harpenden, Henley and Epsom January 13, 2016 Have you found yourself grumbling about the ever-increasing cost of commuting, even when your train is delayed/cancelled/diverted for no apparent reason? If you're a property owner, it's time to turn that frown upside down. New research suggests that if you travel into London from the commuter belt, your home is actually paying off the cost of your annual [...]
Barratt share price jumps as housebuilder posts “excellent” first half January 13, 2016 Another day, another housebuilder smugly proving the property sector is where it's at these days. But one analyst was still cautious… The figures The company said it completed 7,626 homes in the six months to the end of December, 9.4 per cent more than last year. The company was receiving 0.66 net private reservations per active site each week – up from [...]
Alternative finance can unlock the potential of small developers to tackle Britain’s housing crisis January 13, 2016 Hearing that the Prime Minister plans to open up public sector land for small-scale developments was a great way to start the year. Gaining access to land is a major hurdle that keeps too many small property development companies out of the market. All initiatives to correct that should be welcomed. Yet lack of land [...]
George stands by his yuan: Osborne to press ahead with plans to connect British and Chinese stock exchanges January 13, 2016 Chancellor George Osborne is pressing ahead with plans to connect the British and Chinese stock exchanges despite heightened market fears over volatility in the Chinese markets. Osborne used a speech in Shanghai last September to announce a new “feasibility study” into connecting the UK and Chinese markets, writing at the time in City A.M. that [...]