Farm lending tops £1.6bn in Scotland
Scottish farmers have again increased their bank borrowing, with the end of May 2012 figure reaching £1.67 billion, some £56 million, or 3.5 per cent, higher than a year ago.But the chief executive of...
View ArticleJohn Menzies clinches key NI distribution contracts
THE newspaper and magazine wholesaling division of logistics group John Menzies yesterday said it had extended its contract with News International (NI).The revised seven-year agreement will see...
View ArticleMarks & Spencer targets existing customers as it opens first Scottish bank...
MARKS & Spencer yesterday launched its banking venture in Scotland but declined to say how many customers it expects to pick up.The high street retailer’s branch at the Gyle shopping centre in...
View ArticleBuilding broadleafed woods at a profit
There has not been a big tradition of planting broadleaved woods on arable land but yesterday farmers were advised of the considerable advantages from putting small areas of trees on their best...
View ArticleExecutive pay rises slowing
Pay rises for company executives are showing signs of “cooling off”, although a minority are continuing to receive substantial increases, according to a report out today.Earnings growth slowed in the...
View ArticleWave power centre signs Korean deal
A SCOTTISH test centre for wave and tidal power devices has signed its third partnership in the Far East, after agreeing a “major” collaboration deal in South Korea.The European Marine Energy Centre...
View ArticleTUC hits out at ‘failure’ to rebalance toward industry
GOVERNMENT pledges to rebalance the economy towards manufacturing is failing as the UK has become more dependent on financial services, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has claimed.The TUC’s latest...
View ArticleMagnus Swanson takes role in management deal to buy Law At Work
VETERAN Scottish lawyer Magnus Swanson yesterday helped lead a management buy-out of fixed-fee specialist Law At Work (Law) which has severed ties with parent firm Maclay, Murray & Spens.Swanson, a...
View ArticleFacebook hits new market low as investors react to flood of shares
Shares in Facebook yesterday sank to their lowest point since its flotation as the firm’s earliest backers got their first chance to sell their stakes.“Lock-up” rules meant insiders were not allowed to...
View ArticleScottish Business Briefing - Friday 17 August, 2012
WELCOME to scotsman.com’s Scottish Business Briefing. Every morning we bring you a comprehensive round-up of all news affecting business in Scotland today. BANKINGMarks & Spencer targets existing...
View ArticleMelrose agrees to £165m merger with Irish rival
Melrose Resources today said it has agreed the terms of a merger deal with Ireland’s Petroceltic International that values the Edinburgh-based oil and gas firm at £165 million.Under the deal, Melrose...
View ArticleOnline boost for Mecca Bingo owner
The owner of Mecca Bingo shrugged off a fall in the number of visitors to its halls today as a surge in online players helped it toast a 9 per cent rise in profits.Rank Group said visits to its 97...
View ArticleMarkets: Facebook shares hit fresh lows in US
FACEBOOK’S shares continued to fall on New York’s Nasdaq after millions of shares hit the market at the end of a lock-up period following flotation.The social media business saw its stock fall on...
View ArticleOlympic sales lift: But Scottish stores miss out
JOHN LEWIS enjoyed solid sales growth last week, helped by a feel-good factor that swept much of the nation during the second week of the Olympics.Figures released yesterday showed that the...
View ArticleBusiness news in brief: Ferrovial | Expansys | Foot Locker
SPANISH infrastructure firm Ferrovial is selling part of its stake in British airport operator BAA to Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund.The company said yesterday that it would sell off 10.6 per cent of...
View ArticleWaste disposal operator Viridor hit by global slowdown
Pennon Group yesterday warned that the slowdown in the world economy had hit its waste disposal arm Viridor, with trading “significantly below” last year’s highs.The waste business – seen as the...
View ArticleEuropean Central Bank to supervise all major banks
The European Commission is to propose giving the European Central Bank supervision over all of the eurozone’s major banks.The proposal, expected on 11 September, envisages national regulators...
View ArticleFormer BBC chief Mark Thompson will be paid £3m to run New York Times
MARK THOMPSON, the newly appointed chief executive of the New York Times, stands to receive a pay package of $5 million (£3m) next year, it was revealed yesterday.Thompson, outgoing director-general of...
View ArticleWestern Ferries and Orkney Ferries opt for Rolls-Royce thrusters
Two Scottish ferry operators have placed orders for Rolls-Royce engines as they look to improve capacity and speed up their services.Western Ferries is building two vessels for its Dunoon to Gourock...
View ArticleUniversities group takes office lease
Universities Scotland, which represents 19 higher education institutions north of the Border, has taken the final space at the Holyrood Park House development in Edinburgh.The ten-year lease for the...
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