Watchdog opens probe into auditors of collapsed lender MFS Accountancy The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has launched an investigation into the conduct of three accountancy firms and individual accountants involved in auditing the accounts of collapsed mortgage lender, Market Financial Solutions. The accountancy watchdog said it has opened four probes into Magus Chartered Accountants, Berkeley Finch Limited, and Silver Levene (UK), and into a number [...]
Workspace slashes dividend as profit plummets amid new boss’ shake-up Property Real estate group Workspace slashed its dividend in the latest financial year as the firm plunged to a hefty loss. The FTSE 250 company posted a £120.5m loss before tax, from £5.4m last year, which was driven by nearly £160m in write-downs of property valuations amidst a changing strategy. New boss Charlie Green – who [...]
Real estate firms going bust at record rate as property market slumps Property Real estate companies are going bust at the fastest rate seen in a decade, CityAM can reveal, in a further sign that the UK’s property market is taking a battering. As many as 762 real estate-related businesses have become insolvent in the UK since the start of the year, a CityAM analysis of [...]
Padel craze drives demand for industrial property June 10, 2026 Padel operators have leased out more than one million square feet of industrial space in the last 18 months, as the UK’s newest sports craze takes over the country’s warehouses. The volume of square feet snapped up for Britain’s fastest-growing racquet sport in the past year and a half is almost seven times that in [...]
Squarepoint commits £430m to huge London office move after profit soars June 8, 2026 One of London’s biggest investment firms has committed £430m to a major office move as the firm doubles down on its presence in the Square Mile. Squarepoint Capital, which was previously a subsidiary of Barclays before being spun off in 2014, is set to move to a redeveloped 400,000 square foot, 12-storey office on Gresham [...]
London house prices fall as Bank of England rate hikes loom over mortgage market June 5, 2026 Fresh insight into the UK’s lacklustre housing market revealed price declines for London and the South East on Friday, while the overall national rate of increase halved for May The closely-watched Halifax House Price Index was released with mortgage holders and would-be home buyers eyeing interest rate rises from the Bank of England (BOE). The [...]
Billionaire John Caudwell: Britain needs to stop criticising the wealthy and start celebrating success June 5, 2026 Phones4U founder John Caudwell’s new Riviera development features a £250k statue of himself. Billionares should be proud of their success, he tells Felix Armstrong “If I was trying to purely make money, I would have built student accommodation in Manchester and put another 5,000 Chinese people in there,” billionaire and philanthropist John Caudwell says as [...]
Mortgage approvals jump to 15-month high despite Iran war chaos June 2, 2026 Mortgage approvals made a surprise jump to a 15-month high in April, despite continued signs that the economic chaos caused by the Iran war is shaking confidence in the property market. Net mortgage approvals jumped three per cent to 65,900 in April, above the six-month average of around 63,100, according to Bank of England data. [...]
Landlords rush to protect income over Renters’ Rights Act fears June 1, 2026 Landlords are racing to protect their income in response to the government’s divisive Renters’ Rights Act, which banned no-fault evictions and fixed tenancies. Private landlords have been rushing to secure income protection and rent guarantees since the reforms became law at the start of May, according to an AIM-listed firm. Rent Guarantor said it saw [...]
House prices fall again as property market ‘deteriorates’ June 1, 2026 House prices fell again in May as the mortgage rate hikes and surging energy bills caused by the Iran war continued to take their toll on the UK’s fragile property market. The UK’s average house price fell by 0.6 per cent to £278,024 in May, compared to 0.4 per cent growth in April, according to [...]