Focus on Soho: West End hotspot proves that central London never stops moving April 23, 2015 Moments away from Oxford Street and its swinging sister Carnaby Street, Soho has been frequented by artists, writers and more than a few ladies of the night over the centuries. But the recent influx of boutiques, gourmet burger chains and private members’ clubs means the area has caught the eye of London’s prime property developers. [...]
Phoenix from the flames: With US stocks at record highs, where can investors look next? April 23, 2015 From the darkest depths of the financial crisis six years ago, the world’s largest economy has rebounded strongly – and its equity markets have soared. US equities are now entering the seventh year of a bull market, with the seemingly unstoppable S&P 500 reaching a new record high virtually every month. The performance of [...]
An Isa revolution: Why the savings and investment vehicle is now more powerful than ever before April 23, 2015 Nearly 14m new Isas were opened in 2013-14. According to the recent BlackRock Investor Pulse Survey, the 16 year-old savings vehicle is used by over a quarter of Britons to build up their longterm wealth, and by nearly 40 per cent to provide a rainy day fund for life events. And the government’s revolution in [...]
Ladies who don’t lunch: Ainslie McLennan talks property, politics and picking an IFA April 23, 2015 “I needed a bigger pond to swim in,” says Ainslie McLennan, describing her move to London, more than 10 years ago. She’d completed “the full triangle” in Scotland: born-andbred in Glasgow, she studied at Aberdeen University and then worked in Edinburgh. Her choice of subjects at university raises an eyebrow. “I started out doing [...]
General Election 2015: David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg on how they’re going to solve the housing crisis (and which is their favourite room) April 23, 2015 House prices are too high and there aren't enough homes on the market, a new – not altogether surprising – study has suggested. But with an election just days away, property search giant Rightmove, which conducted the research, decided to take it to the leaders of each party to see what they're going to do [...]
Taylor Wimpey upbeat on UK housing market as buyers shake off General Election jitters April 23, 2015 The figures Taylor Wimpey has made an upbeat start to 2015, with an average private net reservation rate of 0.76 sales per outlet per week for the year to date – suggesting house buyers aren't worried about the impact of the general election (and given housebuilding is one of the few sectors that stands to benefit, [...]
Income alternatives: Where should you look for income in your portfolio? April 23, 2015 Once upon a time, bonds could always be relied upon to deliver a consistent fixed income. Sadly, those days are long gone, and now most bonds pay a miserly return – with some even in negative territory. But income is still useful for many investors. We asked the experts to name their top alternatives. COMMERCIAL [...]
Dave Lewis admits long road ahead for Tesco recovery April 22, 2015 Tesco boss Dave Lewis admitted yesterday that he faced a larger task than expected turning around the struggling supermarket giant, as it reported the worst results in its 96-year history. Lewis – known as “Drastic Dave” for his radical overhaul of businesses at Unilever and now at Tesco – acknowledged that the task of turning [...]
Your Move: London rental prices have soared 27pc under David Cameron April 22, 2015 Residential rents in London have far outstripped the rate of inflation under the current government, according to a new report out today. Rent in the capital increased by 27.4 per cent since the last General Election, according to the latest Buy-to-Let index from estate agents Your Move and Reeds Rains. Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) increased [...]
City Moves for 23 April 2015 | Who’s switching jobs April 22, 2015 N+1 Singer The corporate advisory and broking firm has appointed Nic Hellyer as director in its corporate finance team. He joins from HSBC, where he was managing director and head of its UK mid-market advisory team. Hellyer has also held roles at UBS and KPMG. Standard Chartered Sir Iain Lobban has been appointed senior adviser [...]