House prices in City fringe areas of Shoreditch, Clerkenwell and Hoxton have surged by 62 per cent since 2008 December 7, 2015 House prices in London’s City fringe have surged since the crisis to outperform the wider London market, new research shows, thanks to the booming popularity of areas such as Shoreditch, Clerkenwell and Wapping to live as well as work. According to property advisory firm CBRE, average residential property prices in the City fringe have soared [...]
City Moves for 07 December 2015 | Who’s switching jobs December 6, 2015 IG GROUP The online trading firm has named Peter Hetherington (pictured) as chief executive. He took on the role of interim chief exec in October, and has been a member of the IG board since 2002. JP MORGAN JP Morgan Asset Management Global Insurance Solutions (GIS) has appointed James Peagam as head of GIS. He [...]
Why strong brands are stock market darlings December 6, 2015 The marketing industry is built around the understanding that a strong brand can drive sales and therefore deliver returns to shareholders. But new research from brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance has now put hard numbers behind this. The consultancy releases an annual list of the world’s most valuable brands, the Global 500. In 2015, for [...]
City Moves for 4 December 2015 | Who’s switching jobs December 3, 2015 SHEPHERD AND WEDDERBURN Katie Russell (pictured right) and Caroline Shand become partners at law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn, as it bids to strengthen its position in employment and in the real estate and infrastructure sectors. Having trained at Shepherd and Wedderburn, Katie spent over six years working in the City before returning three years ago. [...]
UK house prices: Stamp duty reforms have saved homebuyers £1.9bn since last year December 3, 2015 The chancellor’s stamp duty reforms may have added to the bill for high-end homes. But for the vast majority who have bought homes under £1m, the measures have represented huge savings. UK homebuyers have collectively saved £1.9bn since the old slab system was abolished last December and replaced with a more progressive tax system, figures [...]
Landlords opting to be companies after Osborne shakes up buy-to-let with stamp duty hikes and mortgage interest claim caps December 3, 2015 The Chancellor's recent changes to the buy-to-let rules have caused landlords to rush to incorporate. According to figures released today by Kent Reliance, a quarter of the demand for buy-to-let mortgage finance the banking company receives now comes through limited companies. Across the total buy-to-let market, Kent Reliance predicts that 56,800 buy-to-let loans will be issued [...]
Market Tech Holdings sees Camden Market empire jump in value to £870m December 3, 2015 Camden Market owner Market Tech Holdings said its sprawling 14-acre north London estate has jumped by 15 per cent in value, in its first set of half-year results since floating on Aim in December last year. The company, which is now eyeing a move to London’s main market, said its total investment and property portfolio [...]
Growing personal debt is a ticking time bomb and trouble will come when rates and inflation start to creep up December 3, 2015 It’s no surprise that we’re borrowing like there’s no tomorrow; prices are low, credit is cheap and coupled with wage growth you could say there’s a feeling of positivity in the air. Make the most of this sweet spot now; we’re watching a ticking time bomb and trouble is likely to be on the horizon. [...]
Neil Woodford-backed online estate agents Purplebricks raises £58m in junior market AIM listing December 3, 2015 Purplebricks, the online estate agents backed by superstar investor Neil Woodford, has raised £58m in a share placing ahead of its listing on London's junior market. The estate agency, which combines online listings with local property experts to guide buyers, is expected to float on the Alternative Investment Market (Aim) with a market capitalisation of £240.3m, and will raise £58.1m before [...]
The UK needs to better insure itself against the cyber-terrorism threat December 2, 2015 In the week after the devastating atrocities in Paris, the chancellor announced that infiltration of our online infrastructure ranks alongside “guns, bombs and knives” as a terrorist threat against which the UK needs urgently to defend itself. Elevating cyber-terrorism in such a public manner, backed up with commendably generous financial resources for our security services, [...]