All Finance comment articles – Page 4
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InsightInvestors are taking the long view
Wall-to-wall negativity on Brexit from politicians and the media would have us believe the UK economy is on life support and that we’re destined to fall into recession any day now.
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Insight‘Cinderella moment’ for industry
The real estate market has had its ‘Cinderella moment’. Midnight has struck, exposing the REIT ‘pumpkin eaters’ left holding unsaleable assets at high valuations. Retail values cracked but REITs portrayed this as a one-off.
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InsightWhy cutting cost is no longer king in corporate real estate strategy
In an uncertain climate, cutting cost is often integral to business strategy. So it may come as a surprise that corporate real estate managers are increasingly ranking employee engagement and talent attraction and development ahead of cost when it comes to corporate real estate strategy. This was one of the ...
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InsightTime to get creative with funding
If anyone was clinging to the hope that by now the government might be ready to turn its attention to something other than Brexit, it looks like we will all have to wait a bit longer.
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InsightNew retail opportunities beckon
Retail has been through a challenging period and many are predicting continuing doom and gloom in the coming months. Yet despite the uncertain political backdrop, I firmly believe retail is entering a new and dynamic era.
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InsightFinance is key to retail survival
EY’s latest profit warnings data shows that firms in the FTSE General Retailers Index issued 36 profit warnings in 2018, the highest annual total since 2011 and 50% more than in 2017.
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InsightThe hanging Sword of Damocles
Like peeling back the skin of an onion, each layer of the property investment market reveals something different about the state of play and, unless you have prepared properly, you may well end up in tears.
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ProfessionalWhat will be the impact of tax on capital gains for overseas buyers?
From April 2019, non-UK investors will be taxed on gains from investing in UK land. Currently only closely held residential land is caught, but this will be extended to sales of UK land or ‘property-rich’ vehicles (deriving at least 75% of their value from UK real estate). The tax rate ...
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InsightHow to spot the early adopters
You often hear proptech advocates talk about how property companies are not adopting technology fast enough; instead, they are moving too slowly and messing around time-strapped start-ups. However, we never hear advice to help property companies avoid doing this.
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InsightDuking it out over section 106
The seventh Duke of Westminster should read Southwark Council’s 166-page report on why it last month rejected £800m plans to build 1,343 flats and a new school in Bermondsey. The council wanted 35% of the homes to be rented at 25% below market rent, rejecting Grosvenor’s 27.5% final offer.
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InsightMeet the matchmakers of real estate finance
Filling a gap that has emerged since the financial crisis, debt advisers aim to find the best deal from a growing pool of lenders. Guy Montague-Jones and Frances Ivens profile some of the market’s leading players
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InsightHow to secure debt for new sectors
Despite all the Brexit uncertainties, the fundamentals of UK residential remain: plentiful rental demand; favourable demographics; and consumers wanting ‘everything as a service’. Institutional interest in the sector is strong. Last year, we secured a partnership with Harrison Street and NFU Mutual to help fund the 6,500-apartment build-to-rent (BTR) pipeline ...
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InsightShould investors be looking at hedging strategies?
Since the financial crisis, central banks have used their monetary policy arsenal to artificially lower interest rates. This has supported asset prices, including real estate values, and provided stakeholders with the opportunity to clean up their balance sheets. The Bank of England (BoE) is no different, driving interest rates to ...
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InsightHow is increased competition affecting lenders?
The global real estate investment market remains highly liquid. We saw record investment volumes of €312bn (£271bn) into Europe in 2018 and the highest levels of investment into central London since 2014 with capital coming from right across the globe. CBRE estimates there is about £34bn of global equity looking ...
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InsightIs Atkins right to up the sales ante?
When Hammerson exchanged contracts to sell a 50% stake in Highcross shopping centre for £236m at the start of October, shareholders would be forgiven for expecting the share price to rise.
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InsightWhat student housing can teach the retirement sector
In December last year, Property Week held its 11th annual student housing conference and there were many lessons for the retirement communities sector.
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InsightIs the urban renaissance over?
Like many Londoners, I have been worrying about the possible effects of Brexit on our city.
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InsightHousing broken but not unfixable
Despite Brexit stealing the limelight, housing remains a top government priority. In fact, there is rare cross-Whitehall agreement that the UK’s housing market is broken and innovation is urgently needed in the supply chain.
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InsightMore investment in planning vital
The planning system is one of contradictions. Central government and the public generally recognise the desperate need for new high-quality housing.
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InsightDevelopment counsel for councils
I was at the conference of the District Councils’ Network a few weeks ago where Rishi Sunak, a very impressive junior minister from MHCLG, lauded district councils as being the engines and champions of economic growth.
