{"id":124666,"date":"2025-09-01T10:49:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T10:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/124666\/"},"modified":"2025-09-01T10:49:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T10:49:14","slug":"business-news-live-uk-house-prices-fall-with-market-struggling-to-find-its-feet-after-stamp-duty-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/124666\/","title":{"rendered":"Business news live: UK house prices fall with market \u2018struggling to find its feet\u2019 after stamp duty change"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Royal Mail move to scrap second class post on Saturdays to take \u2018many months\u2019<\/p>\n

The owner of Royal Mail<\/a> has said it will take \u201cmany months\u201d to roll out changes that will see it ditch second class letter deliveries on Saturdays across the UK.<\/p>\n

International Distribution Services (IDS) \u2013 which saw its \u00a33.6 billion takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky\u2019s EP Group complete in June \u2013 said it was yet to start expanding the reforms outside of the pilot already running across 35 delivery offices.<\/p>\n

Ofcom gave the green light to Royal Mail to scrap second class letter deliveries on Saturdays and change the service to every other weekday, starting from July 28.<\/p>\n

But under its Universal Service Obligation, Royal Mail must keep Monday to Saturday deliveries for first-class post and maintain the target for second-class letters to arrive within three working days.<\/p>\n

Karl Matchett1 September 2025 11:45<\/p>\n

<\/a>Small businesses borrowing at four-year high<\/p>\n

The Bank of England have shown data which sees SMEs borrowing at a four-year high.<\/p>\n

Responses from within finance are varied, some suggesting it shows the cost pressures firms have been under, with others pointing to the likelihood of money being put into business investments.<\/p>\n

Jon Maloney, founder at Century Business Finance, said: \u201cGiven the pressure SMEs have been under in the past 12 months, I think it\u2019s safe to say that the borrowing figures we\u2019re seeing are primarily being driven by cash flow, or rather the lack of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cConfidence remains low in terms of recruitment and investment due to uncertainty created by the government. Hopefully they\u2019ll finally realise come the Budget that you cannot keep hammering businesses and expect growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Karl Matchett1 September 2025 11:32<\/p>\n

<\/a>UK manufacturing downturn worsens amid slump in new orders<\/p>\n

The downturn in UK factory production worsened last month due to a fall in new orders and export business due to trade tensions, according to new figures.<\/p>\n

The S&P Global UK manufacturing PMI<\/a> survey, watched closely by economists, showed a reading of 47.0 in August, slowing from 48.0 in July.<\/p>\n

Any reading above 50 indicates that activity is growing while any score below means it is contracting.<\/p>\n

It was marginally worse than expected, with economists having predicted a reading of 47.3.<\/p>\n

The figures were the worst for three months and represented a setback for the sector after signs of recovering activity earlier in the summer.<\/p>\n

Karl Matchett1 September 2025 11:05<\/p>\n

<\/a>HSBC latest bank to increase potential mortgage lending amounts<\/p>\n

HSBC have become the latest lender to up their loan to income potential borrowing amounts.<\/p>\n

A change in affordability rules means first time buyers can now borrow up to 5.5 times earning, meaning joint applicants could borrow more than \u00a355,000 more than previously.<\/p>\n

It also applies to first direct customers, which is owned by HSBC.<\/p>\n

Karl Matchett1 September 2025 10:40<\/p>\n

<\/a>Premium Bonds: \u00a31m winners in Cumbria and County Durham<\/p>\n

Premium Bonds: love them or hate them, someone wins big every month. The two \u00a31m winners this time around are from County Durham and Cumbria, both of whom held the max \u00a350,000 in their accounts.<\/p>\n

Both had also held their Premium Bonds ticket which won for over a decade.<\/p>\n

If you hold Premium Bonds you can check for prizes on the app and website from tomorrow.<\/p>\n

They are run by NS&I, effectively as a savings account but one which does not pay interest, so no prizes or gains on your money are guaranteed.<\/p>\n

Karl Matchett1 September 2025 10:25<\/p>\n

<\/a>Expert reveals the five side hustles that may earn you extra money<\/p>\n

Nearly two-thirds of UK<\/a> adults are either already engaged in or contemplating a side hustle<\/a>, according to new research<\/a> from art supplier Jackson\u2019s Art.<\/p>\n

The study found that 61 per cent of Britons are looking to supplement their income, driven by a desire for both enhanced lifestyles and financial stability.<\/p>\n

For 43 per cent, the primary motivation is to earn more disposable income<\/a> for luxuries such as holidays, self-care, or dining out.<\/p>\n

However, the rising cost of living<\/a> is a significant factor for others, with one in three seeking extra money<\/a> to cover essential expenses like bills and mortgages.<\/p>\n

Here are the side hustles they experts say are potential earners:<\/p>\n

Karl Matchett1 September 2025 10:10<\/p>\n

<\/a>FTSE 100 rises, European stocks climb<\/p>\n

The FTSE 100 has climbed this morning, up 0.25 per cent with weapons firms Babcock and BAE Systems leading the way, both up more than 2.5 per cent today.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a similar story around Europe so far, France\u2019s CAC 40 up 0.53 per cent and Germany\u2019s DAX 0.55 per cent in the green.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re early of course but futures markets show US stocks rising too – but that\u2019s for tomorrow\u2019s opening, as today markets are shut for Labor Day.<\/p>\n

Karl Matchett1 September 2025 09:48<\/p>\n

<\/a>Budget uncertainty could lead to property chain “collapse”<\/p>\n

Another expert is not so sure that the property market will be bouncing back.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Stinton, head of mortgages at Coventry Building Society, is calling on the government to set a date for the Budget – to stop a \u201ccollapse\u201d of property purchase chains due to uncertainty.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe consequences of all this speculation are very real. Every time a new rumour surfaces it creates more uncertainty, and the housing market really doesn\u2019t thrive on guesswork.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven the hint of tax changes is enough to make buyers and sellers worry about their next step. We could see people trying to hold off buying in case a tax break is around the corner, while others feel pressured to offload a property quickly before any rules change. That could mean chains collapse and families are left in limbo.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Chancellor shouldn\u2019t leave people twisting in the wind. We need clarity \u2013 either quash the rumours or confirm the details. And, most importantly, set a date for the Budget so buyers, sellers and the market know how much more of this they have to endure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Karl Matchett1 September 2025 09:37<\/p>\n

<\/a>Badenoch in pledge to \u2018get all our oil and gas out of the North Sea\u2019<\/p>\n

Kemi Badenoch has committed the Tories to extract as much oil and gas as possible from the North Sea<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Conservative Party leader said it was \u201cabsurd\u201d to leave the fossil fuel resources untapped.<\/p>\n

But the Government<\/a> said issuing new licences for oil and gas exploration would \u201cnot take a penny off bills\u201d and would accelerate the \u201cworsening climate crisis\u201d.<\/p>\n

A Conservative government would make \u201cmaximising extraction\u201d its goal if it wins power, rather than measures aimed at shifting the North Sea industry away from fossil fuels.<\/p>\n

Karl Matchett1 September 2025 09:00<\/p>\n

<\/a>House prices expected to increase next month and beyond<\/p>\n

Prices might be down for now, but it\u2019s a temporary blip and a normal part of summer, say some experts.<\/p>\n

Two here offer different reasons why the upcoming period might see prices increase again:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe market may have paused over the summer, but the annual picture remains one of growth and resilience,\u201d said Verona Frankish, CEO of Yopa.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the holiday season behind us, attention now turns to the final run up to Christmas, which is traditionally one of the busiest periods of the year and one of the hard deadlines many buyers and sellers set for their completion data.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe added motivation of moving before the festive season, combined with improving mortgage affordability, should help drive a strong finish to the year for the housing market.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, political uncertainty could see people hold off moving – meaning less supply and higher prices.<\/p>\n

\u201cMortgage rates have been easing slightly but typical fixed deals remain around 4%, keeping monthly payments elevated, and higher inflation will make the path to lower interest rates even longer,\u201d said Karen Noye, mortgage expert at Quilter.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeculation around potential reforms in the Chancellor\u2019s upcoming budget, including possible levies on high-value homes or changes to capital gains tax on primary residences, could also cause hesitation among sellers. This would tighten supply further and paradoxically push prices higher, worsening conditions for new entrants to the market.<\/p>\n

\u201cEither way, without a significant increase in available homes and clearer policy direction, the market risks stagnation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Karl Matchett1 September 2025 08:40<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Royal Mail move to scrap second class post on Saturdays to take \u2018many months\u2019 The owner of Royal…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":124667,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[28,112],"class_list":["post-124666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-markets","tag-business","tag-markets"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124666"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124666\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}