December 2016

RBS shareholders push for special committee

More than 100 individual shareholders of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) — coordinated by shareholder groups ShareSoc and UKSA — have requisitioned a resolution to install a new…



Change Recruitment revenue up to £18m

Glasgow and Edinburgh-based Change Recruitment Group (CRG) said growth in its accountancy-finance, IT-digital and temporary-contract businesses helped it offset continuing challenges in the oil and gas market in 2015-16. CRG…


More scrutiny for £2bn Green Bank sale

Updated — The proposed sale of the UK government’s Edinburgh-based Green Investment Bank (GIB) for up to £2 billion is facing increased political scrutiny following allegations that…


£1bn to be spent on Scots roads in 2017-18

Investment in Scotland’s motorways and trunk roads will rise about 18% to just under £1 billion in 2017-18, taking projects currently under construction to almost £6 billion, according to…


Sports Direct to sell $137m Dunlop brand

Sports Direct International said it agreed sell its rights to the Dunlop brand and related wholesale and licensing businesses to Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) for $137.5 million in…


Advisory group for £3.7bn creative industries

The Scottish Government has set up a Creative Industries Advisory Group to advise ministers on the support the sector needs. Invitations to become members of the group have…


Scotland’s most expensive streets named

New research from Bank of Scotland has identified Scotland’s most expensive streets, with The Scores in St Andrews — just a pitching wedge from the world famous Old…



Deutsche, Credit Suisse in $12bn settlements

Deutsche Bank said it reached a settlement in principle with the US Department of Justice (DoJ) regarding civil claims in connection with the bank’s issuance and underwriting…



Renewables exceed 50% electricity target

The Scottish government said renewable sources delivered the equivalent of 59.4% of Scotland’s gross electricity consumption in 2015 — up from 49.9% in 2014. This…





£440m bid to boost broadband speeds

The UK government announced what it called “a £440 million broadband boost to benefit more than half a million premises” including £18 million of investment…


Highland exporters want single market access

About 65% of exporting companies in Scotland’s Highlands and Islands believe access to the European single market is important for their businesses, according to a survey of more than…




Scottish Investment Bank hails £40m fund

Scottish Investment Bank head Kerry Sharp welcomed the establishment of a new £40 million small and medium sized enterprises (SME) holding fund by the Scottish Government to…



Changes at Hymans Robertson public sector team

Glasgow-based pensions and benefits consultant Hymans Robertson said it appointed Barry McKay as Head of Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Actuarial, working alongside David Walker as Head…



Approval for McColl’s £117m Co-op stores deal

Convenience retailer McColl’s Retail Group said the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) gave final and unconditional approval for McColl’s £117 million acquisition of 298 stores from the Co-operative Group…



R&D jobs at record level, but spending slips

Research and development (R&D) employment in Scottish businesses reached its highest level on record in 2015 with about 11,000 jobs — but R&D spending fell slightly during that year…


Flybe adds Heathrow flights, new CEO

Regional airline Flybe said it will soon offer more than 40 scheduled flights a week from Aberdeen and Edinburgh to London Heathrow. Flybe also said it hired Christine Ourmieres-Widener as…


Faroe Petroleum secures £300m bank funding

Aberdeen-based Faroe Petroleum said it signed two banking facilities for almost £300 million “which will provide substantial finance to underpin the company’s growth plans.” Faroe is an independent oil and…


£350m Aberdeen Harbour expansion approved

A £350 million expansion of Aberdeen Harbour has been sanctioned by the harbour’s board and the construction contract with preferred bidder Dragados UK is due to be formalised on…


Lloyds to buy MBNA for £1.9bn

Lloyds Banking Group — owner of the Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows and Halifax brands — said it agreed to acquire UK consumer credit card business MBNA from a subsidiary…


Cayzer’s Caledonia sells Park Holidays

The Cayzer family’s Caledonia Investments said it agreed terms for the sale of Park Holidays UK, the UK’s third largest holiday park operator, to Tiger Bidco…


Shetland fish landings biggest since 1987

The Shetland Fishermen group said Shetland’s whitefish market had its biggest yearly landings since 1987. More than 357,000 boxes were brought ashore and sold. Shetland is the second…



Hurricane shares up after Shetland oil find

Shares of Hurricane Energy soared more than 12% after it announced a “significant” oil find at the Lincoln Well west of Shetland. Hurricane CEO Robert Trice said: “I…


Collagen Solutions revenue up but loss widens

Shares of Glasgow-based Collagen Solutions, a manufacturer of medical grade collagen biomaterials, fell about 12% after it said its revenue and other income increased by 30% to…


£120m investment for Fort William smelter

Liberty House and SIMEC, members of the GFG Alliance, said they completed a £330 million deal with Rio Tinto to buy Britain’s last remaining aluminium smelter at Fort…


Edinburgh hotel room rates soar 18.9%

Edinburgh hotels sold 80.8% of their rooms during November, a slight rise on the same month of 2015, and grew their average room rate (ARR) from £84.75 in…


Johnston Press to sell 13 titles for £17m

Johnston Press — owner of The Scotsman, the i newspaper and the Yorkshire Post — announced the proposed disposal of 13 titles and associated websites in East…


Ryden merges with Mason Philips

Scotland-headquartered commercial property consultant Ryden has agreed a merger with London investment agents Mason Philips. The merged firms will operate under the Ryden name with…


Elliott mulls Alliance Trust outsourcing, sale plan

Dundee-based investment firm Alliance Trust has announced a radical strategic plan that includes the outsourcing of equity portfolio management and the sale of investment division Alliance Trust Investments to Liontrust…



Murdochs agree £11.7bn deal to buy rest of Sky

Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox said it reached an agreement with Sky plc to buy the 61% of the British pay-TV firm it doesn’t already own for £10.75 a share — or roughly £11.7…


Competition concerns on Menzies ASIG deal

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Thursday that Edinburgh-based John Menzies’ acquisition of ASIG may give rise to competition concerns over ground handling services at…



Ex-SFE chairman among hirings at Aberdeen

Aberdeen Asset Management said it made a number of appointments to strengthen its global distribution platform, including former Scottish Financial Enterprise chairman John Campbell. Campbell will join Aberdeen…


Cereal harvest falls 11%; spring barley down 15%

Scotland’s 2016 cereal harvest is estimated to have fallen 11% on 2015, according to the Scottish Government’s Chief Statistician. Final estimates show Scottish farms produced 2.8…



Recently-floated FreeAgent’s revenue soars 36%

Edinburgh-based accounting software firm FreeAgent — which floated on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange last month — said its revenue increased by 36%…


Most fish quotas increased in Brussels talks

Annual negotiations in Brussels resulted in increased fish quotas for 16 out of 23 key Scottish stocks and “additional fishing opportunities” worth around £47 million, said Fisheries…


SSE and Dixons in ‘connected home’ venture

Perth-based energy giant SSE and Dixons Carphone, Europe’s largest electrical goods and phones retailer, said they have formed a strategic partnership to provide “connected home” services to…



Struthers joins Stan Life as head of investments

Edinburgh-based fund management giant Standard Life Investments said it appointed Archie Struthers to the role of head of investments. Struthers will join Standard Life Investments — which manages…






Renewable energy firms show global reach

Scottish renewable energy businesses are now working in more than 40 countries around the world, new research by industry body Scottish Renewables has found. Projects…



Stan Life urges Gilbert to get better offer for Sky

Edinburgh-based fund manager Standard Life Investments argued on Monday that Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox is not offering enough for British pay-TV firm Sky Plc and questioned the independence of…


Slight drop in November private sector output

The health of Scotland’s private sector worsened slightly during November, as companies reported the first contraction of output for three months, according to the Bank of Scotland PMI….


Ewing urges UK to protect Scottish fish quotas

The Scottish government’s fisheries secretary Fergus Ewing has urged the UK government “to stop fish quotas from being traded away unnecessarily” during crucial EU fisheries negotiations…



Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox bids for UK’s Sky

Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox confirmed it reached an agreement in principle to buy the 61% of British pay-TV firm Sky Plc it does not already own for around $14 billion. 21st…







Avian Influenza Prevention Zone declared

The Scottish Government said it declared a Scotland-wide Avian Influenza Prevention Zone for 30 days requiring that all poultry and captive birds must be kept indoors “or…