Search: financial focus

Scottish businesses are showing resilience in response to global uncertainty, with 84% saying they are confident in their ability to withstand economic shocks, according to new findings from the Bank of Scotland Business Barometer.  Three fifths (60%) of Scottish businesses say they have been i

Lloyds Banking Group is expanding its use of artificial intelligence across fraud prevention, combining agentic AI with real-time scam detection to protect its 28 million customers. The Bank of Scotland-owner's AI fraud agent was developed by fraud, technology, data and risk specialists using Envoy,

Pallas Capital has completed an expedited £8.4 million bridge against a Grade A commercial office and integrated car park in Aberdeen, securing completion within a one-month window. The 60,000 sq ft office, a modern refurbishment of an historic granite warehouse, was refinanced via a 12-month

Wbg expects a 30% rise in fee income from its tax offering, driven by geographical expansion and the launch of a specialist VAT advisory service. The firm's tax service line has grown consistently by 10 to 15% per annum in recent years, prompting an expansion of its team from one partner to three. H

Edinburgh-based artificial intelligence fintech Aveni has strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of Kent Mackenzie as chief commercial officer. With a career spanning over 20 years across tier-one banking institutions, consultancy and AI regtech, Mr Mackenzie brings deep expert

The head of JPMorgan's private bank in Scotland has underlined the firm to expand its Scottish arm despite global economic uncertainty.

A new specialist finance platform has launched with the aim of transforming how small and medium-sized businesses in the construction and manufacturing sectors access funding. SME Funded has been designed as a one-stop solution, connecting business owners with more than 130 lenders alongside its own

US President Donald Trump has announced the removal of tariffs on Scotch whisky imports, in a move that distillers have described as a significant boost for an industry that had been losing millions of pounds a week in the world's most lucrative export market. The decision, unveiled on Truth Social

Johnston Carmichael has strengthened its audit offering in Aberdeen with the appointment of Teresa Gilligan as audit director. Ms Gilligan joins the leading UK accountancy and business advisory firm with more than 17 years’ experience in audit and assurance, gained across Big Four and other pr

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has opted to continue keeping UK interest rates at 3.75%, resisting pressure to hike borrowing costs despite a spike in inflation linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. While markets had anticipated a move to curb rising prices, the c

Aberdeen Investments’ Strategic Insurance Group has been appointed by Flood Re, the UK’s government‑backed flood reinsurance scheme, to manage a c. £1 billion credit mandate following a competitive public procurement process. Under the mandate, Aberdeen Investments will act as Fl

A Nationwide customer could join the building society's board for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century, after a longstanding member secured enough support to appear on the lender's annual ballot. James Sherwin-Smith, a 45-year-old from West Sussex, will stand for election at Nationwide's

As Scotland approaches a pivotal election, low confidence in the Scottish economy is already holding back investment and job creation at a time when Scotland can least afford it, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) has warned. Results of a survey of ICAS members following the S

AG Barr, maker of Irn-Bru, has reported adjusted pretax profit up 12.5% to £65.8 million for the 12 months to the end of January, as the company targets a doubling of its size by expanding into the growing healthy drinks market. Revenue rose 4% to £437.3m over the period, with cash gener

New data from the Scottish Chambers of Commerce shows nearly half of firms (48%) are concerned about business rates – the highest level in the last five years. The findings from SCC’s Q1 2026 survey highlight growing pressure on businesses from rising fixed costs, with business rates rap