Scottish Financial Review

Troubled Aberdeen-based engineering and consulting giant John Wood Group said it has been awarded a series of decarbonisation contracts with a value of $100m for flare…

The £430m Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon plc investment trust announced that Brian Lum, deputy portfolio manager, has been appointed as the company’s lead portfolio manager and takes…

The Scottish Shellfish Farm Production Survey 2024 has been published — showing record levels of mussel production but a 38% fall in oyster production at…

Scottish Woodlands Ltd, the UK’s largest forest management company, reported turnover of £118.2 million in the year to September 30, 2024, up from £111.6 million…

By Mark McSherry Edinburgh investment giant Aberdeen has recommended the UK government should introduce financial incentives to encourage private investment to support UK growth –…

Aberdeen Group plc announced that Michael O’Brien, a non-executive director of the company, died unexpectedly on Saturday, May 24.  O’Brien joined the Aberdeen board in 2022…

Growth capital investor BGF said it has pledged £200 million to Scottish businesses as part of its £3 billion UK-wide commitment to support high-potential companies…

Scotland’s angel investors maintained their support for Scotland’s emerging high-potential SMEs, according to the latest annual data from Angel Capital Scotland for the financial year…

Phoenix Group, the UK’s largest savings and retirement business, is considering changing its name to Standard Life. Phoenix acquired the Standard Life brand in 2021…

Troubled Aberdeen-based engineering and consulting giant John Wood Group said on Friday its chairman Roy Franklin “intends to step down from the Wood board as soon as…

UK government borrowing in the financial year ended March 31 has been provisionally estimated at £148.3 billion, according to the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS)….

The Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) reported record revenue of £16 million for the year to December 31, 2024 (2023: £12.8m), with profit of £2.1…

Investment into Scottish companies grew 108% from Q4 of 2024 to Q1 of 2025, according to The State of Investment in Scotland report from Beauhurst. “Scotland…

Artisan Real Estate is to press ahead with the homes-led transformation of the former Caledonian Brewery on Slateford Road in Shandon, west Edinburgh, following planning…

Scottish companies raised £704 million in risk capital in 2024 – a 19% increase on 2023 – while the UK experienced a 14% reduction in…

A £500 million vision — Clyde Gateway — to strengthen a major Scottish location for innovation, High Value Manufacturing, business space and green growth in…

A new dedicated Scottish green finance initiative has been launched with the aim of unlocking up to £40 billion a year of investment into green…

Edinburgh-based oil and gas firm Capricorn Energy said it is “evaluating a number of value opportunities including strategic investments and partnerships in the UK North…

Royal London said it agreed to acquire Dalmore Capital, the infrastructure asset manager which manages £6 billion of assets across five flagship funds, subject to…

By Mark McSherry The co-manager of Baillie Gifford’s flagship investment trust, the £13 billion Scottish Mortgage fund, has said that “most companies simply do not…

Glasgow-based Beeks Financial Cloud Group plc, a cloud computing and connectivity provider for financial markets, announced that it has signed a “significant multi-year Exchange Cloud contract”…

Loch Lomond Group whisky giant announced its acquisition of The New York Distilling Company (NYDC), based in Brooklyn, New York. NYDC produces a range of American…

ZeroAvia has announced that it will build a manufacturing facility for zero-emission aircraft technology at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland, close to Glasgow Airport…

Salmon Scotland, the trade body which represents the UK’s biggest food export, welcomed the UK–EU trade deal, which it said would “reduce costly delays and…

Artisanal Spirits Company, owner of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), Single Cask Nation (SCN) & J.G. Thomson, said in an AGM statement it has achieved double-digit…

The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that UK inflation rose more than expected to a 15-month high of 3.5% in April as higher utility…

SSE plc, the Perth-based electricity infrastructure giant, said it has trimmed its five-year investment expectations by £3 billion to around £17.5 billion “reflecting financial discipline…

Glasgow-based media firm STV Group plc announced it is extending into audio with the launch of a new Scotland-focused commercial radio station. The radio studio…

The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has analysed the holdings of all 22 investment trusts in its UK Smaller Companies sector to reveal which companies are…

Centrica plc announced that subsidiaries of its Spirit Energy Limited business agreed to sell a 46.25% interest in the Cygnus gas field in the North…

Linlithgow-based Calnex Solutions plc, a provider of test and measurement solutions for telecoms and cloud markets, said its revenue for the year ended March 31, 2025,…

The UK government said it has reached a “new agreement” with the European Union — a deal that covers fishing, defence, trade and energy. A…

Johnnie Walker and Guinness giant Diageo said on Monday it plans to cut costs by $500 million and make “appropriate and selective disposals” as the group prepares…

London property firm Praxis said it has completed the acquisition of the St Enoch Shopping Centre in Glasgow city centre. The 12-acre site occupies a…

Bain Capital Private Equity (Europe) LLP confirmed on Friday that Bain Capital Funds are assessing “a possible offer to acquire” Edinburgh-based Craneware, a provider of…

Martin Gilbert’s investment firm River Global plc announced that Alex Hoctor-Duncan, CEO of River Global’s asset management business, is leaving the business. Matt Hudson, Head…

Port of Aberdeen has announced a “strong financial performance” for 2024, reinforcing its role as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth “and a key driver…

Aberdeen Investments, on behalf of the Standard Life Pooled Pension Property Fund, has acquired Sears Retail Park, Solihull, for £69.6m. The Standard Life Pooled Pension…

Overseas corporates are swooping to pick up bargain UK smaller companies, analysis by Edinburgh investment giant Aberdeen shows. UK companies worth a combined £15 billion…

Macquarie Specialised and Asset Finance has signed an agreement with ScottishPower parent Iberdrola for the purchase of its UK smart meters business, ScottishPower Smart Meters…

The state-owned Scottish National Investment Bank will not be able to end its reliance on public funding unless ministers can make a case for UK…

General counsel, executive director and dual-qualified solicitor Ben Kemp has been appointed the new chief executive officer of the Law Society of Scotland. Kemp will…

Bryan Batista has been appointed chief executive officer of Edinburgh-founded travel search company Skyscanner as of June 1, succeeding the departing CEO John Mangelaars. Skyscanner was acquired…

A new report from Prosper — formerly called Scottish Council for Development and Industry — warns that Scotland’s growth is being held back by a…

By Mark McSherry Financial industry leaders on Tuesday set out ambitious plans to unlock growth in Scotland’s investment management sector with a plan to double assets…

Scottish accountants are “unconcerned” about the potential for AI to impact their roles, and are instead “embracing AI technology at a greater level than their…

The UK Treasury said on Tuesday that “up to £50 billion of investment” for UK businesses and major infrastructure projects is set to be unlocked…

Edinburgh Innovations, the University of Edinburgh’s commercialisation service, announced the appointment of Lizzie Withington in the newly created role of Director of Venture Creation. Edinburgh…

Macfarlane Group, the Glasgow-based protective packaging, design and distribution firm, said in an AGM trading update on Tuesday that it will commence a share buyback programme…

OakNorth, the digital bank for entrepreneurs, said it has provided a £10.3 million facility to Tarka Edinburgh to fund the acquisition and development of a…

New research commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) shows that planned development projects in the area represent a potential investment value of up to…

Weir Group, the Glasgow-based global mining and engineering FTSE 100 firm, and CiDRA Minerals Processing Inc. announced they have signed a global collaboration agreement alongside…

Tom Farmer, the Edinburgh businessman who founded the Kwik Fit garage chain, has died at the age of 84. Farmer built Kwik Fit into the world’s…

Banco Santander has rejected an offer of around £11 billion from NatWest for its UK retail bank, saying the bid undervalued the business, according to a Financial…

Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group, said it succesfully concluded a £280 million Bulk Purchase Annuity transaction with the Cancer Research UK Pension Scheme, which…

The Scottish Government announced it will “implement a direct award” of the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract to state-owned CalMac Ferries Limited in…

The UK central bank on Thursday cut interest rates by a quarter point to 4.25% as Donald Trump’s trade war dampens outlook for growth. Analysts…

TSB, the UK banking business of Spain’s Sabadell, has reported a statutory profit before tax of £101.3 million for the first quarter of 2025 —…

The UK’s National Wealth Fund (NWF) has announced a £600 million commitment to Iberdrola to upgrade the British power grid through its subsidiary Scottish Power…

Air passenger figures for Highland and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) remained steady in the year to March 31, 2025, according to the latest statistics. The…

Whitbread, owner of the Premier Inn hotel chain, has submitted plans to transform Capital House, next door to The Filmhouse in Edinburgh City Centre, into…

Troubled Aberdeen-based engineering and consulting giant John Wood Group said on Wednesday it secured three “reimbursable contract extensions” in the North Sea worth $118 million to…

Peak rail fares across Scotland will be scrapped from September, First Minister John Swinney has announced. In his Programme for Government speech, Swinney said: “Last…

Heart of Midlothian has confirmed that Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom has made a proposal to invest capital of £9.86 million into the Edinburgh…

The Scotch Whisky industry has welcomed a “transformational” trade deal between the UK and India that will see Indian tariffs on whisky and gin halved…

Dundee-based publisher DC Thomson has announced the appointment of Ella Dolphin to the newly created role of Deputy CEO. “Ella joined DC Thomson in 2016…

By Mark McSherry Baillie Gifford’s £2.6 billion Monks Investment Trust plc said it is adjusting its portfolio “to ensure the Trust remains well-positioned for growth despite US…

A Kelso-based manufacturer of insect repellents is set to expand into new markets following a change in ownership facilitated by HSBC UK funding. HSBC UK…

Shares of NatWest — the banking group formerly known as RBS — briefly touched their highest level in 14 years on Friday after the group…

Glasgow-based secure cloud services firm Iomart Group plc said on Friday it will unite its cloud services activities under a single brand — Atech. Last October, Iomart…