UK's Post Pandemic Student Housing Boom Is Starting to Recede
Unite Group Plc, the country's largest publicly traded student landlord, reported first-half bookings for the next academic year that were the lowest since the depths of the pandemic. About 88% of its beds available for September have been reserved, down from 94% a year earlier, according to a statement Tuesday.
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19 minutes ago
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Labour dealt major blow as petrol and diesel drivers take same action
The Labour Party government has been dealt a major blow as motorists 'hold off' going electric. Experts have warned that drivers will only be able to get the £3,750 Electric Car Grant on certain vehicles. Mike Thompson, chief operating officer at Leasing Options, said "there's been a lot of confusion around vehicles that will qualify for the new scheme, and we really hope the Government clears things up soon". He added: "What we do know is that to qualify, the car needs to have a recommended retail price of £37,000 or less. That means straight away, popular models like the Tesla Model Y are off the table. READ MORE State pensioners 'caught off guard' after becoming 'casualty' of HMRC "On top of that, the size of the grant will depend on how sustainable the vehicle is. The greenest models could get up to £3,750, while band two models could be eligible for £1,500." "There's also a safety element involved, and some brands won't qualify if they don't meet certain standards," he added. "And when you consider that 54 per cent of people say cost is still the biggest thing holding them back from going electric, it's clear support like this is needed to make EVs more affordable for everyone," Thompson added. Thompson said: "Right now, with the details of the Government scheme still up in the air, there have been reports of a lot of drivers holding off on EV purchases, hoping to take advantage of any discounts when the rules are clearer." One motorist said: "I can buy an electric Mini made in Oxford and shipped to China for £6000 less than I can buy a similar car in UK. Electric cars in China are half the cost of similar cars here but the infrastructure is in place there for charging cars whereas in uk we are a decade behind especially in the rural communities. To charge an electric car in China costs between 10p - 20p but in Rip off Britain it's 9p a kw at home and sometimes up to £1 a kw in public…" "Many people are waking up to that electic vehicles are not as economical and cheap to run as the government and car manufacturers have told us, and are still buying diesel and petrol car's," another wrote.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
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Charting the Global Economy: A Split Bank of England Cuts Rates
(Bloomberg) -- The Bank of England reduced interest rates to a more than two-year low in a closer-than-expected decision that leaves investors with what Governor Andrew Bailey called 'genuine uncertainty' on its next move. All Hail the Humble Speed Hump Three Deaths Reported as NYC Legionnaires' Outbreak Spreads Mayor Asked to Explain $1.4 Billion of Wasted Johannesburg Funds New York Warns of $34 Billion Budget Hole, Biggest Since 2009 Crisis Chicago Schools' Bond Penalty Widens as $734 Million Gap Looms In the US, the services sector effectively stagnated last month as sluggish demand and higher input costs prompted companies to reduce employment — the latest evidence of a slowing economy. Here are some of the charts that appeared on Bloomberg this week on the latest developments in the global economy, markets and geopolitics: Europe In a judgment that pitted the prospect of inflation hitting 4% against a weakening jobs market, five members of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee split 5-to-4 in favor of reducing rates by a quarter-point to 4% after deadlock forced it into an unprecedented second vote. The prospect of another reduction this year is now shrouded in doubt. It was the first time in the panel's 28-year history that two rounds of voting were needed for a presentable outcome on rates. German industrial production suffered its biggest drop in almost a year, raising the prospect that Europe's largest economy shrank last quarter by even more than initially estimated. US President Donald Trump declared plans for a 100% tariff on semiconductor imports while promising to exempt companies such as Apple Inc. that move production back to the US, triggering a scramble among trading partners and companies worldwide to make sense of the threat. The US services sector effectively stagnated in July as firms — faced with tepid demand and rising costs — reduced headcount. The Institute for Supply Management's index of services declined last month to 50.1, below all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Readings above 50 indicate expansion. The share of consumer debt in serious delinquency rose in the second quarter to the highest level since early 2020, reflecting a record surge in past-due student-loan debt. In a briefing with reporters, New York Fed researchers said student-loan delinquencies would likely continue to rise, eventually returning to pre-pandemic levels. Asia China's export growth unexpectedly accelerated last month in the fastest gain since April, as demand from around the world compensated for the continued slump in shipments to the US. Japan's household spending rose in June for a second month in a show of some resilience despite persistent inflation. Outlays by households adjusted for inflation increased 1.3% from a year ago, led by spending on transportation and housing related costs. Vietnam's exports jumped more than expected in July, with buyers racing to avoid a 20% tariff on the country's exports to the US. The Southeast Asian nation, an export powerhouse that sells everything from coffee and clothing to engine parts, has been shipping more goods this year to buyers aiming to avoid US tariffs. Emerging Markets Brazil is hosting COP30, the world's most important climate conference, this fall, while its state-owned oil company is moving a giant drillship to a site just over 100 miles off the coast of the Amazon rainforest in a desperate hunt for more crude — one it hopes will save the production of the nation's biggest export — from plunging in the 2030s. A discovery would support the nation's shrinking trade surplus, attract investments and boost royalty payments to a government afflicted by budget constraints. Indonesia's economy is growing at its fastest pace in two years. Not all consumers are buying it. World Aside from the BOE, officials in Mexico and Lesotho lowered interest rates. Central banks in Armenia, India, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Madagascar and Romania held rates steady. --With assistance from Nazmul Ahasan, Irina Anghel, Maria Eloisa Capurro, Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen, Mariana Durao, Claire Jiao, Ian King, Hadriana Lowenkron, Catherine Lucey, James Mayger, Jonnelle Marte, Peter Millard, Yoshiaki Nohara, Jana Randow, Tom Rees, Grace Sihombing, Fran Wang, Prima Wirayani and Erica Yokoyama. The Pizza Oven Startup With a Plan to Own Every Piece of the Pie Digital Nomads Are Transforming Medellín's Housing Russia's Secret War and the Plot to Kill a German CEO It's Only a Matter of Time Until Americans Pay for Trump's Tariffs The Game Starts at 8. The Robbery Starts at 8:01 ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
10 FTSE 100 shares I think have long-term potential
As an investor with a long-term timeframe, I always try and weigh up how durable I think a business will be when hunting for shares to buy for my portfolio. Although many members of the FTSE 100 index of leading companies have long histories, that does not necessarily mean they will be around for a long time in the future. Of course, none of us knows how long a given company might last. Even the best company can run into unexpected challenges. That is one reason it is important for an investor to keep their portfolio diversified. Still, here are 10 FTSE 100 shares I think have long-term business potential. Consumer industries People need to wash their face and shampoo their hair – and they need to buy products for doing so. So I reckon consumer goods giants Unilever and Reckitt (LSE: RKT) could be around for a long time yet. Similarly, while shops come and go, Tesco and J Sainsbury are longstanding supermarkets I think could be gracing our high streets for decades to come. Utilities and energy A similar logic applies to utilities. National Grid and United Utilities could well be distributing energy for decades, I reckon. Meanwhile, energy giants BP and Shell could keep pumping oil and gas for many years to come. Also, depending on whether fossil fuels fall further out of fashion or not (some of BP's woes in recent years have sprung from its mixed signals on this score), they may succeed in reshaping their energy portfolios. Industrials It has fallen in and out of the index over the years, but Rolls-Royce is one of only three current FTSE 100 members that were in the original FT 30 index back in 1935, a forerunner of the FTSE 100 (although FT 30 still continues in its own light and was relaunched by the Financial Times this year). While Rolls makes the aircraft engines, fellow FTSE 100 member International Consolidated Airlines Group uses them in its planes flying in the colours of Aer Lingus, British Airways, and other airlines. I reckon civil aviation demand may ebb and flow over time but will remain substantial over the long term. Zooming in on specific investment ideas But just because a company looks set to hang around for a while does not necessarily make it a great investment idea. The Rolls-Royce share price has gone up 1,144% in five years. But in the same period, Reckitt has fallen 28%. One key question I consider when hunting for shares to buy is whether a company's end market is likely to be resilient. I think Reckitt's is. I also consider what competitive advantages it has. Like rival Unilever, Reckitt benefits from strong brands, unique formulations, and an extensive international sales distribution network. While Unilever has made some bad acquisitions over the years, Reckitt's 2017 purchase of nutrition firm Mead Johnson was an absolute stinker. It helps explain Reckitt's share price fall in recent years and I see a risk that ongoing product safety litigation could eat into future profits too. Still, I see Reckitt as attractively priced for a company with a proven business model, resilient customer demand, and strong competitive advantages. I think the FTSE 100 share is one for long-term investors to consider. The post 10 FTSE 100 shares I think have long-term potential appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool C Ruane has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended J Sainsbury Plc, National Grid Plc, Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc, Rolls-Royce Plc, Tesco Plc, and Unilever. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025
