New Greek negotiator Euclid Tsakalotos heads to Brussels for bailout discussions April 29, 2015 Greek officials will meet with representatives of its creditors in Brussels today, as the country rushes to avoid bankruptcy. The Greek delegation will be led by Oxford-educated Euclid Tsakalotos, Morning Wire understands. He has usurped finance minister Yanis Varoufakis as Greece’s main negotiator, after a meeting between Varoufakis and Eurozone finance ministers last week turned [...]
Consumer optimism gives mixed signals ahead of General Election as confidence index plateaus April 29, 2015 Consumer confidence is high going into the General Election, new figures show today, but has failed to improve on last month. The consumer confidence index produced by market researchers GfK remained at a score of four in April. Despite confidence failing to improve on March, it is at its highest level for over a [...]
UK house prices climb to new heights in April due to “surplus in demand which is outpacing supply” April 29, 2015 House prices climbed higher in April, new figures from a major mortgage lender reveal. Annual house price growth edged up to 5.2 per cent in April from March’s 5.1 per cent. The average UK house price is now a £193,048 – the highest on record. Housing analysts blame a lack of supply for [...]
Federal Reserve keeps interest rates near zero but hints at hike in the near future April 29, 2015 Following its two-day policy meeting, the Federal Reserve has confirmed it is keeping its target interest rate at close to zero per cent, but says it will raise it soon if the US economy continues to grow. Since the 2008 financial crisis, the US central bank has kept its rates at a record low in [...]
Retail sales unexpectedly slip but next month could be mega April 29, 2015 Retail sales unexpectedly slowed in the year to April, but retailers are gearing up for a sharp rise next month, with expectations hitting the highest level since May last year. The latest CBI Distributive Trades Survey of 122 firms showed 30 per cent said retail sales were up on a year ago, while 18 per [...]
Only 43 homes listed for sale in London are “affordable” for the average family April 29, 2015 Just 43 homes listed for sale in London are classified as "affordable" to the average family, new research has suggested. That's 0.1 per cent of the market – and it includes houseboats and a mobile home. The study, by housing charity Shelter, found 34 of those properties has "incorrect information" in their listings, were likely [...]
Nationwide House Price Index: UK house prices hit a new record high April 29, 2015 UK’s house price growth rose by an annual rate of 5.2 per cent in April, a small rise from March’s figure of 5.1 per cent. This put the average cost of a house in the UK at £193,048, the highest since records began. The figures According to data from Nationwide, UK house prices rose one per [...]
Growth stalls as parties speed to the finish line April 28, 2015 New preliminary figures released yesterday showed that growth in the UK economy slowed in the first three months of this year. The slowdown could dent the re-election prospects of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, yet economists and business groups played down the significance of the data. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that GDP [...]
London business bosses come out against mansion tax policy April 28, 2015 Over half of London business leaders are opposed to a so-called mansion tax, according to a new survey. ComRes conducted a poll of more than 500 London business leaders for the London Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). It found that 52 per cent of them are against an additional tax on properties valued [...]
Mortgage approvals just jumped to a six-month high in March April 28, 2015 Mortgage approvals hit a six-month high in March, but they're still about 14 per cent lower than a year ago, according to data released by the British Bankers' Association (BBA) today. Mortgage approvals for house purchase rose to 38,751 in March, up from 37,453 in February and the largest amount since September last year. "The [...]