September 2016



Sea fishing haul falls 15% to £437m

The value of sea fish and shellfish landed by Scottish registered vessels in 2015 fell by 15% in real terms to £437 million and the quantity fell…



Scotmid half-year turnover up to £185m

Scotmid Co-operative said its turnover rose £4 million to £185 million in the 26 weeks to July 30 and trading profit was in line with last year at £2 million…



Arnold Clark turnover hits record £3.35bn

Glasgow-based Arnold Clark Automobiles, Scotland’s biggest privately-owned company, said its turnover rose 2.2% in 2015 to a record £3.35 billion. Operating profit rose 1.7% to £121.7 million…


Neilly joins Aberdeen as global head of strategy

Aberdeen Asset Management confirmed that former Cantor Fitzgerald Europe joint chief executive Gordon Neilly has joined the fund management firm as global head of strategy. Neilly reports…








Standard Life to reopen UK Real Estate Fund

Edinburgh-based Standard Life Investments (SLI) said it will reopen its suspended UK Real Estate Fund and associated feeder funds from 12 noon on Monday, October 17. The…



Maersk splits in two and focuses on North Sea

Copenhagen-based shipping container and oil conglomerate A.P. Møller-Mærsk said it will split into two separate businesses — forming a transport and logistics company and a separate energy business that will focus…




Walmsley to be CEO at GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline announced that Emma Walmsley, currently CEO of GSK’s consumer healthcare division, has been appointed GSK’s CEO designate and will succeed Andrew Witty as CEO when he…


Smart Metering revenue up 25% to £32.3m

Glasgow-based Smart Metering Systems (SMS) said its revenue rose 25% to £32.3 million and its statutory profit before tax jumped 23% to £9.1 million in the half year ended…



Holyrood urges UK to stimulate economy

The Scottish Government has called on the UK Government to stimulate economic growth following the UK vote to leave the EU. Cabinet Secretary for Economy Keith Brown called…





Sturgeon welcomes Statoil North Sea expansion

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed the North Sea expansion plans of Norwegian multinational Statoil on Monday as she officially opened the firm’s new headquarters in…


Standard Life-Almary Green deal talks ended

Standard Life’s financial planning business 1825 said on Monday that it has terminated discussions to acquire Norwich-based independent financial advisers Almary Green, which has assets under advice of…




Saltire Court ‘up for sale at £69m’

Saltire Court, one of Edinburgh’s most prestigious office blocks, has been put up for sale by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) for about £69 million,…


Menzies to buy Florida’s ASIG for £153m

John Menzies said it agreed to buy Orlando, Florida-based aviation and fuel services company ASIG from BBA Aviation for up to £153 million in what it called a “transformational” deal…





Changes to second home council tax discount

The Scottish Government said legislation to remove the automatic council tax discount for second homes has been laid in Parliament. “This change will give councils…


Scots unemployment falls below UK level

The unemployment rate in Scotland has fallen to 4.7% and is now below the UK rate, according to the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS). The Scottish employment…


Oil and gas production up, but value down

Oil and gas production in Scotland increased by 21.4% to around 70 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2015-16 and accounted for 81% of the UK total, according…




Goals Soccer Centres halts sales decline

East Kilbride-based Goals Soccer Centres said profit before tax was £3.5 million in the six months to June 30 compared to £4.5 million in the first half…


Mysterious jump in Johnston Press stock

Troubled Johnston Press — owner of The Scotsman, the i newspaper and the Yorkshire Post — said on Tuesday it knew of “no operational or corporate…



Regulator lifts Aberdeen’s cash buffer to £475m

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has increased the required minimum level of capital that should be held by Aberdeen Asset Management for regulatory purposes. Aberdeen’s regulatory capital…



Fringe helps Edinburgh Airport rise 12%

Edinburgh Airport enjoyed an increase in passengers of 11.9% in August compared to the same month last year — with 1,296,189 people passing through the airport. The number…



Hurricane shares up 53% on Shetland tests

Shares of oil firm Hurricane Energy soared 53% after it said tests at the Lancaster field west of Shetland showed “a very significant hydrocarbon column.” Hurricane CEO…






‘Three bidders’ for £4bn Green Investment Bank

Up to three groups are expected to bid for Edinburgh-based UK Green Investment Bank by Monday’s deadline, according to Bloomberg News. Bloomberg said Sustainable Development Capital LLP is leading…




Shepherd and Wedderburn on £99.3bn of deals

Scottish law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn said its banking and finance practice — the largest in Scotland — reported its busiest ever 12 months and worked on deals worth…




UK Treasury ‘not consulted on £500m fund’

The Scottish Conservatives said the Scottish Government had not discussed its proposed £500 million Scottish Growth Scheme with the UK Treasury despite the plan requiring Treasury approval….


Stan Life leads vote against Sports Direct board

More than half of the independent shareholders of controversial retailer Sports Direct voted against re-electing Keith Hellawell as chairman at a stormy annual general meeting. Edinburgh-based fund…


Average Edinburgh house price up 7.7% to £242k

The average selling price for houses in east central Scotland increased 6.2% to £224,782 over the last three months compared to the same period last year, according to latest report by…


Edinburgh University ranked 19th in world

The University of Edinburgh has placed 19th in the QS World University Rankings 2016/17, just ahead of Columbia University and King’s College London. The ranking…


£500m support for private sector firms

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Tuesday unveiled a new £500 million package of financial support for private sector business investment as she set out plans…


Craneware revenue up 11% to $49.8m

Edinburgh-based Craneware, a software firm that specializes in the US healthcare market, said its revenue increased 11% to $49.8 million and profit before tax increased by 10% to…


Bayer in advanced $65bn talks to buy Monsanto

German chemical and pharmaceutical giant Bayer said late on Monday it is in “advanced negotiations” to buy the world’s largest seed company Monsanto for more than $65 billion. A…





Sturgeon pushes for single market ‘coalition’

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is pushing for a coalition of like-minded UK government ministers to put pressure on UK Prime Minister Theresa May to preserve Britain’s access…