FTSE 100 hopes for Santa rally after week of decline -London Report December 14, 2015 This week the market is looking to put aside last week’s pain, which saw the FTSE dip below the 6,000 mark again, as it prepares itself for a much heralded interest rate rise from the US Federal Reserve. Don’t bet on anything other than volatility, however, with markets already nervous about what surprises a change [...]
Treasury to pave way for tighter control of the buy-to-let market December 14, 2015 Regulators are expected to consult on the buy-to-let mortgage market this week, as they pave the way for the next salvo on the booming sector. George Osborne has committed to launching a consultation before the end of the year on handing the Bank of England new powers to apply rigorous rules to the buy-to-let market. [...]
London and the East lift UK economic growth as Scotland and the North East contract December 14, 2015 London was the second fastest growing region of the economy last month, according to a new business survey. Lloyds Bank’s regional purchasing managers’ index (PMI) scored 57 for London, above the 50 level that signals no change in business activity on the previous month. While it mark a slowdown in London’s economic growth – Octobers [...]
Rightmove: London house prices beat the seasonal slump December 14, 2015 London asking prices have gone up 10 per cent in the last year, yet some experts are warning the market could run out of steam in 2016. Prices are down 0.5 per cent compared with last month, according to figures published by property website Rightmove this morning. The smallest December dip since 2008 took asking [...]
High street suffers Black Friday blues as footfall slumps in November December 14, 2015 UK high streets suffered a massive slump in footfall in November as shoppers abandoned the high street in favour of bagging a Black Friday bargain online. The number of visitors making shopping trips to their local high streets, retail parks and shopping centres fell by 2.1 per cent year-on-year. This was significantly below the 0.2 per cent fall [...]
KPMG in firing line over HBOS as MPs call for investigation December 14, 2015 MPs are calling for accountancy giant KPMG to be investigated for its role in the collapse of HBOS, branding its auditing practices a failure. Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the influential Treasury Select Committee, is urging the accountancy regulator, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), to reconsider the need for a probe into the “big four” accountant. Tyrie [...]
Tata in talks to save Scunthorpe plant as steel industry continues to suffer December 13, 2015 Tata Steel UK has reportedly put together a restructuring plan that could save it’s Scunthorpe refinery from shutting down. A new investor has come onto the scene that could potentially see £400m being pumped into the business, it was reported in the Sunday Telegraph, citing sources close to the proposal. The deal could include an [...]
Waitrose targets 1,500 new jobs as part of store expansion plans December 13, 2015 Waitrose is ramping up its expansion with plans to launch 14 stores from the spring of next year, creating 1,500 jobs. The upmarket grocer said the new openings will include five supermarkets in towns such as Truro in Cornwall and Worcester in the Midlands. They also comprise of nine new little Waitrose convenience shops, one of [...]
City Moves for 14 December 2015 | Who’s switching jobs December 13, 2015 MARKETFORM Robert Brown has joined specialist underwriting firm Marketform as global practice leader of its M&A Insurance operations, heading up a team specialist underwriters and lawyers who are responsible underwriting complex transactions to provide bespoke warranty and indemnity and tax insurance products. Robert has more than 20 years’ worth of underwriting experience and has previously [...]
Fed revs up for historic lift in US interest rates – New York Report December 13, 2015 Stock market investors are ready for the first US Federal Reserve interest rate hike in nearly a decade this week, but they may not be fully prepared for all of the nuanced remarks likely to accompany that announcement. If the Fed lays out an aggressive schedule of future rate increases, stock markets could become very [...]
