Savills: London house prices for the Capital’s most expensive properties have been dented by new stamp duty rules September 30, 2015 London's most expensive properties have been dented by strict new stamp duty rules, new research from upmarket estate agent Savills has shown, with prices in central London falling 4.6 per cent in September, compared with the same month last year. The heart bleeds… The research suggested new rules introduced in last year's Autumn Statement, which [...]
Global steel price drops to lowest level in over a decade September 30, 2015 It's been a bad month all round for commodities, and steel is the latest metal to show the scars of economic turmoil. The overall price of the commodity dropped to its lowest level in 11 and a half years in September, according to the MEPS steel price index. Read more: SSI to close Redcar [...]
Standard & Poor’s thinks the European Central Bank will extend its quantitative easing programme September 30, 2015 Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) has said it sees signs the European Central Bank (ECB) could extend its quantitative easing programme beyond September 2016. S&P said the euro has strengthened against the currencies of slowing emerging market economies. This will make it harder for the ECB to meet its inflation target of just [...]
PPI-related complaints against UK banks falling September 30, 2015 Customer complaints about payment protection insurance (PPI) are falling, according to new financial regulator figures which hint that the fallout from banks’ mis-selling of PPI is beginning to settle. PPI-related complaints remain the biggest source of grumbling among customers in the aftermath of the scandal, but they’re down 17 per cent in the first six [...]
Eurozone inflation unexpectedly turns negative in September September 30, 2015 Large falls in energy prices pushed the Eurozone back into deflation for the first time in six months, according to an initial estimate from the official statistics agency. Consumer prices across the single currency bloc fell to minus 0.1 per cent in September, more than economists expected, and down from plus 0.1 per cent a [...]
Pound wobbles as UK GDP growth is revised lower for the second quarter September 30, 2015 Mixed news from the Office for National Statistics, after its final estimate of UK GDP held second-quarter growth at 0.7 per cent, but revised year-on-year growth for the quarter down to 2.4 per cent, from the 2.6 per cent it originally thought. The pound fell to a five-month low against the US dollar to $1.51 [...]
Global markets on track for worst quarter since 2011 September 30, 2015 The commodity price rout, fresh concerns over the Chinese economy as well as its shock devaluation, and the prospect of the first interest rate rise from the US Fed since 2006 are some of the factors which made this summer a white knuckle ride for investors. Given this, it's hardly surprising that global markets are [...]
Nationwide: Annual UK house price growth edges up September 30, 2015 Annual UK house price growth rose in September for the first time since May, figures by Nationwide have shown – although the figure was a far cry from the same period this time last year. Prices rose 3.8 per cent in the year to September – up from August's 3.2 per cent, but considerably lower [...]
UK house prices: Home lending mortgage products reach post-crisis high September 30, 2015 The number of mortgage products on the market for homebuyers to choose from are at their highest level since 2008, as competition among lenders intensifies, new figures show. A total of 15,838 mortgage products were available in August, up 10 per cent on July when there were 14,395 products and the biggest monthly percentage rise [...]
European M&A at highest levels for eight years September 30, 2015 M&A deals are getting bigger and better as a set of data shows their value is rising even as their numbers are falling. According to research from law firm CMS, the value of deals in the first half of 2015 was at its highest level since 2007 – up 17 per cent – from 14 [...]
