Four reasons why the Fed should not postpone a rate hike September 17, 2015 The probability of the US Federal Reserve ending seven years of near-zero interest rates September is stronger than is generally believed. While there is no perfect timing for the tightening monetary policy, several arguments confirm that the Fed is able to begin this month if it so desires. Here are the four we can see: The [...]
Crowdfunding and the third age of finance: Why banks are now seriously taking note September 17, 2015 Crowdfunding has titillated a lot of people. Armchair investors can pile into funding rounds alongside VCs, lending to or taking stakes in promising businesses. People can raise money for unwell relatives and community projects nearby – or across the globe. And SMEs turned away by banks can borrow from the crowd, issue equity, or [...]
London housing crisis: There’s a practical way to boost home-building – release surplus public sector land in the capital September 16, 2015 I congratulate Sadiq Khan on being selected as the Labour candidate for London mayor. However, Khan seems to be long on analysis of the problems Londoners face but short on practical solutions. London’s housing crisis is clearly the leading issue at the moment, but all he offers are “new teams” at City Hall without [...]
How technology could help solve London’s housing crisis September 16, 2015 With no end in sight for London’s housing crisis, London’s major landowners and councils need to think differently about how tenants can access and use space. Technology is changing the way we consume products on a day-to-day basis, enabling individuals to share everything from cars to clothing on a temporary basis. So far this idea [...]
Best of the Brokers for 16 September 2015 September 16, 2015 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com HOME RETAIL GROUP Haitong Investment Bank has reduced its “fair value” target by 18 per cent to 115p to reflect greater uncertainty over longer term success of Home Retail Group’s modernisation plans for Argos. The broker said that promotional spend in the run-up [...]
Crowdsourcing doesn’t need to be risky: Here’s how to manage it September 15, 2015 In his article Wisdom of the crowd? Here are six reasons crowdsourcing is riskier than you think, Ian Fergusson points out the risks brands face when they think about involving the crowd in an initiative. It was an interesting read, but actually, what he describes is not “because of crowdsourcing”, but symptomatic of bad planning [...]
London and the South East push up UK house prices in July, but property gets cheaper in Scotland and the North East September 15, 2015 House prices climbed 0.8 per cent July, the Office for National Statistics said this morning, keeping annual house price growth above five per cent. Year-on-year price growth was 5.2 per cent, down from 5.7 per cent in June. The East, South East and London led UK’s annual price growth, while houses actually got cheaper in Scotland [...]
Empiric Student Property plans rent hike as shareholder value increases September 15, 2015 STUDENT digs provider Empiric Student Property will hike rents by 3.25 per cent this year, the company said yesterday, as it also revealed its portfolio was valued at £251.3m as of the end of June. Empiric has been on a spending spree this year, acquiring properties in university towns across the country. Its net asset [...]
UK housing market crisis deepens as new listings dwindle September 15, 2015 The UK housing market is experiencing a serious supply shortage, with London facing the most dramatic crisis in the country, according to research unveiled today. New property listings fell 6.6 per cent across the UK last month, while the number of homes put up for sale in the capital slumped a staggering 24.8 per [...]
Pros and cons of selling your house using online-only estate agents – CNBC Comment September 15, 2015 I’ve recently moved home and I don’t need to remind you of how much of an ordeal that can be. The story ends well but not without the usual bouts of anxiety, stress and emotional trauma. In January, I opted to pay a flat fee of around £800 (including tax) for the services of [...]