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Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey has doubled its dividend payment after unveiling impressive profits growth in 2014 and enjoying better-than-expected trading in the new year. On revenue up 17% to £2.69bn, the FTSE 100 group drove a 68% increase in profit before tax and exceptional items to £450.1m and proposed a near tripling in the final dividend to 1.32p per share.

Disunited kingdom: London in a world of its own Wealth and diversity have set the capital apart from the rest of Britain

Oaktree Capital and Saco create £60 million Airbnb-style flats venture: U.S. finance giant Oaktree Capital Management and Bristol-based firm, The Serviced Apartment Company (Saco) have joined forces to create a £60 million serviced apartments business, the pair announced.

WH Ireland look to the future: U.K. Wealth Manager and broker WH Ireland posted a fall in pretax profits but said it had taken steps to put the group on a steadier footing this year.

Argent and Related announce U.K. development joint venture: British developer Argent and U.S.- based real estate and investment firm Related have combined to form Argent Related. Both firms will exclusively conduct all future U.K. projects through the joint venture.

Cut in orders takes a bite out Thorntons’ profits: Chocolate retailer Thorntons warned of tough trading conditions after it saw half year profits melt by 9% despite a bumper Christmas.

Cairn Energy suffers exploration reverse off North Africa: Cairn Energy has suffered another setback off North Africa with its latest exploration well.

Trinity Mirror to pay out first dividend in seven years as newspaper publisher begins two week High Court phone-hacking trial: Trinity Mirror – which publishes the Daily Mirror and the People newspapers – has unveiled plans to pay its first dividend to shareholders since 2008 on the day a two week trial began in the High Court over phone-hacking claims against the company

Buy-to-let landlords and retirees risk squeezing out first-time buyers, data shows: First-time buyers have been warned that they face increasing competition for properties as figures showed that buy-to-let landlords are looking for mortgages with deposits averaging almost £100,000.

Senior gets a lift from growing demand for flights: After years of being ignored by the public, the engineering sector is finally reappearing on investors’ radar as they realise several important factors. One of these companies producing real things is Senior, which derives almost two thirds of its revenues from producing engine, structural and ducting components for the aerospace sector, and the remainder from its Flexonics division, which makes flexible parts used in the land vehicles and industry. Senior describes itself as focused on “tough to make, highly engineered” products that give it strong positions in niche markets. On Monday the FTSE 250 business posted annual sales of £820.8 million, up 6%, and pretax profits 4% lower at £80.6 million. These figures were at actual exchange rates – Senior didn’t need to bleat about how 80% of its profits are generated outside the U.K. meaning that sterling’s strength has a big impact on its results. As constant currency rates, revenue was 11% higher and profit rose 2%. The main threats to Senior’s aviation unit are the low oil price, which could slow orders for new jets if it persists, its weak sales in Brazil and Europe and the challenges in industrialising new programmes as the aviation market continues to develop. Senior plans a 10% increase to the dividend, which is 2.6 times covered by free cash flow, down from last year’s 3.2 times, with the shares yielding 1.7%. Questor last ran a slide rule over Senior in October when the shares were at 280½p and rated the company as a hold. After a strong run into the results, Questor sees the shares as a little overvalued to recommend upgrading to a buy, but believes that should the price ease a little, they are worth a punt. Senior at £337.6p. Questor Says “Hold”.

In this unsafe world, Ultra Electronics provides security: It’s been almost four years since Questor last looked at Ultra Electronics, a specialist player providing electronics and software for the defence, aerospace, security, cyber, transport and energy markets. In its annual results on Monday Ultra’s revenue fell by 4.2% and underlying pre-were profits were off by about the same level, but the loss of a contract to supply IT to Oman’s airports masked the true performance. Excluding that deal, performance was broadly flat. Rakesh Sharma, Chief Executive, admitted spending pressure on the U.S. and U.K. governments had “continued to frustrate” growth but the company did see underlying orders rise by more than fifth in 2014 to £760 million, indicating that there is still strong demand for its many services. Ultra, which has been making cost cuts that raised the underlying margin by 20 basis points to 16.5%, downgraded its guidance with the results, predicting 2015 will see the same sort of performance as the previous year, causing the shares to drop 5.2%. Almost four years ago Questor rated Ultra as a buy at £16.76 and believes the reaction to this latest set of results is an opportunity to add to that stake. Shares in the company, which historically trades at a premium to the U.K. aerospace and defence sector, were at almost £19.00 a fortnight ago, so take advantage of those who abandoned Ultra while you can. Ultra Electronics at £17.07p. Questor Says “Buy”.

Balfour Beatty moves into property development at Olympic Park: Construction and infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has moved in to property development with an agreement to build and help finance 1,500 homes at the London Olympics venue as part of the redevelopment of the site

Look in Mirror reveals small company tied to big pension scheme: In 2014, only 6% of Trinity’s £636 million in revenues came from its digital and social networking sites. Rivals such as the Mail are a long way ahead. Still, digital revenues were 50% up last year. Si has also cut debt to zero and is shelling out a dividend for the first time in years having pre-paid the group’s pension fund contributions for this year. Trinity shares have doubled in a year, despite the company lifting provisions for settling phone hacking from £4 million to £12 million. That said, Trinity’s has a distinctly 20th century problem with its pension fund — the one that was raided by Captain Bob Maxwell in the 1980s. Its obligations to retired hacks will stretch way into this century. In 2012, the pension fund trustees allowed the company to defer £70 million in contributions for three years so that it could repay £160 million to U.S. creditors. Then the company’s market capitalisation had fallen to about £100 million, the gap between the assets in the company’s pension plans and its obligations was £292 million, and shareholders were spoiling for a fight with then Chief Executive Sly Bailey over her £1.7 million-a-year takings. A fivefold increase in market value to £500 million has made a big difference to the confidence of shareholders and pension fund trustees. But Trinity Mirror is still a small company with a very large retirement scheme.

Pay gap between London and rest of U.K. narrows: Workers who live in London have suffered a worse wage squeeze than those in any other U.K. region since the crash, even as the capital’s economy seems to have rebounded more strongly than the rest of the country.

Grosvenor House Hotel on the market: London landmark the Grosvenor House Hotel has been put up for sale after its Owner, Sahara Grosvenor House Hospitality, was put into administration.

British American Tobacco drops and sues PwC over pollution scandal: British American Tobacco has dumped its auditors PwC and taken them to court over a potential $1 billion (£651 million) U.S. environmental damages bill.

Rethink on surplus sends oil price back below $60: The price of oil slipped below $60 a barrel, stirring hopes that consumers will reap the benefit.

UK number of mortgage approvals for house purchases advanced in January The number of mortgage approvals for house purchases registered a rise to 60.80 K in January, in the UK, compared to a level of 60.30 K in the prior month. Markets were expecting number of mortgage approvals for house purchases to climb to 61.00 K.

UK net lending secured on dwellings rose less than expected in January In January, net lending secured on dwellings recorded a rise of £1.60 billion in the UK, compared to a similar rise in the previous month. Market expectations were for net lending secured on dwellings to advance £1.70 billion. UK net consumer credit advanced less than expected in January Net consumer credit advanced £0.82 billion in the UK, in January, compared to a revised rise of £0.52 billion in the previous month. Markets were expecting net consumer credit to advance £0.90 billion.

At 0430GMT today, Brent crude oil one month futures contract is trading 1.44% or $0.86 higher at $60.40 per barrel, ahead of the American Petroleum Institute weekly oil inventory data to be released later today. Yesterday, the contract declined 4.86% or $3.04, to settle at $59.54 per barrel, as worries of excess oil supply were intensified amid speculation that a nuclear deal could end Iran's sanctions and increase its oil exports. Additionally, data indicated that Libya's oil production had swelled to more than 400,000 barrels per day from 363,000 bpd in January, pressurising the commodity further.