UK retail jobs growth fastest for two years
The number of people employed in the UK’s retail sector grew by 2.9 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter, the fastest rate of growth for two years, thanks to supermarkets taking on more part-time...
View ArticleFarming: EU wants payments made public
Scottish MEPs and UK ministers have this week issued calls for the publication of the payments farmers receive from the European Union.The publishing of these figures was stopped two years ago...
View ArticleMarkets: Aggreko powers back into the black
Temporary power provider Aggreko finally broke its losing streak yesterday as analysts said the shares looked oversold.The Glasgow-based firm has lost about a tenth of its market value since warning on...
View ArticleEnd soon to double-dip recession, experts say
The longest double-dip recession since the 1950s is expected to be declared over by official figures today.Gross domestic product (GDP) – a broad measure for the total economy – is predicted by City...
View ArticleScottish Business Briefing – October 25th 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.ECONOMICSScottish manufacturers hit at home...
View ArticleRising profits prompt further job and store expansion by Debenhams
DEPARTMENT store operator Debenhams is ramping up expansion plans following a rise in full-year profits from operations in both the UK and overseas.The 239-strong chain will open a further 17 shops in...
View ArticleEconomic growth means Bank unlikely to print more money
BANK of England (BoE) policymakers are almost certain to sit on their hands next month after Britain’s leap out of recession in the third quarter made it less likely that the Bank would inject more...
View ArticleRecord North Sea licences spells good news for UK oil industry
THE North Sea oil industry looks in robust health after the UK government revealed yesterday that it is granting a record number of exploration licences and Shell signalled its commitment to the region...
View ArticlePernod Ricard is latest distiller to warn of slowdown in Asian growth
SCOTLAND’S second-largest distiller yesterday warned of a slowdown in sales growth in Asia as Scotch whisky faces “challenging” markets in China, South Korea and Thailand.French drinks giant Pernod...
View ArticleMarkets: High street boost from two retailers
Retailers were on the front foot yesterday after Debenhams and Asos posted solid results and outlined plans to expand.Alastair McCaig, market analyst at IG, said: “In a heavy day for corporate reports,...
View ArticleFifty Shades of sales gloom for publisher Bloomsbury
The global success of Fifty Shades Of Grey and other copycat erotic books hit Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury as it lost out to rivals in the first half.The group recorded a 42 per cent slide in...
View ArticleSparrows clinches £100m from US private equity firm
OILFIELD engineering firm Sparrows Offshore has landed financial backing from a US-private equity firm understood to be worth more than £100 million.The Aberdeen-based company said the support from AEA...
View ArticleComment: Recovery begins but it will be a long hard road
NOW that Britain is officially out of recession, the UK government will be keen to focus on the other R word – recovery – though a number of factors must come together to make it stick.Chancellor...
View ArticleGround-breaking fund to back Scottish entrepreneurs
aspiring entrepreneurs in low-income communities are to be targeted by a lending scheme being introduced to Scotland early next year.The Grameen Scotland Foundation will identify business hopefuls...
View ArticleNo talks: Asos plays down Amazon link as sales soar
ONLINE clothing retailer Asos has played down speculation that a bid might be in the offing from internet giant Amazon after posting a 37 per cent rise in sales for the year to 31 August.The fashion...
View ArticleSantander’s UK profit slumps by over a quarter
SANTANDER UK has seen third-quarter profits slide 27 per cent to £372 million, hit by a mixture of funding and regulatory costs squeezing profit margins, and one-off items.The group, part of Spanish...
View ArticleCaution from clients leads to WPP cutting forecasts for second time
Advertising and marketing heavyweight WPP said clients were becoming “increasingly cautious” as it downgraded its forecasts for the second time in three months yesterday.The FTSE 100 company, which is...
View ArticleSEP helping fund £3.3m hydro power investment
VENTURE capital firm Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) is helping to pour £3.3 million into a hydro-electric developer to trigger a flood of new projects.Perth-based Green Highland Renewables, run by...
View ArticleBusiness news in brief: Penguin | Random House | Stobart | AstraZeneca
PUBLISHING group Pearson last night revealed that it is in talks to merge its Penguin books division with German peer Bertelsmann’s Random House.The Financial Times newspaper, which is published by...
View ArticleKnorr what a scorcher for Unilever
Price cuts in austerity-ridden European markets failed to derail Unilever yesterday after better-than-expected sales figures from the Hellmann’s and Knorr maker.Shares in the UK-Dutch company gained 2...
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