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Business confidence in Scotland rose two points during May to 50%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland. Companies in Scotland reported higher confidence in their own trading outlook month-on-month, up nine points at 62%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy

Scotland’s economy experienced a sluggish start to 2026, with onshore GDP growing by just 0.1% in the first quarter, falling significantly behind the UK's overall 0.6% expansion, according to statistics announced by the Chief Statistician. Despite consecutive economic contractions in January a

Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust has reported a strong set of annual results, with its share price returning to the November 2021 high it set before the 2022 growth-stock crash, as a soaring valuation for Elon Musk's SpaceX powered the Baillie Gifford flagship to its full recovery.

Nationwide is set to become Scotland's largest branch network from 4 June, contrasting sharply with the widespread retreat of other high street banks. While rival institutions prepare to close over 80 UK branches in June alone, and upwards of 240 by the end of the year, the building society will boa

Alistair McAlinden and James Dewar from Interpath have been appointed as joint administrators to AIM Engineering & Fabrication Group Limited and Hescott Engineering Company Limited on 15 May 2026. AIM Engineering & Fabrication Group and Hescott Engineering Company, operating from Falkirk and

Sterling and the London stock market fell sharply on Friday, while UK borrowing costs surged, after Andy Burnham confirmed he would contest a by-election as part of a bid for the Labour leadership. The Mayor of Greater Manchester's announcement was followed by the resignation of Wes Streeting as Hea

UK real gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have increased by 0.6% in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2026, according to the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Morgan Stanley has confirmed the appointment of Angela McCann as head of Glasgow, where she will oversee the firm's Glasgow office and its contribution to a wide range of business functions central to Morgan Stanley's global operations. Having joined Morgan Stanley in 2006, she brings over two decad

Henderson Loggie's corporate finance team has advised immersive entertainment and technology company Esk on its £2.6 million funding round led by Maven Capital Partners, with capital provided by the Maven VCTs and the Investment Fund for Scotland. The firm guided Esk through a transaction it v

Following the Scottish parliamentary election results, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) has congratulated the SNP on becoming the largest party in Scotland's new Parliament and is calling for ambitious long-term policies to deliver investment and unlock growth across the cou

With around six months to go until all pension providers and occupational schemes must be connected to the UK's new MoneyHelper Pensions Dashboard, four in five (80%) UK adults remain unaware of the initiative, according to new research from KPMG UK. Awareness is lowest among those closest to retire

In this edition of our Just A Minute Q&A series, we speak to Tony Cochrane, VAT director at Glasgow-based VITA – VAT & Indirect Tax Advisors. I started working at HMRC’s Glasgow VAT office in 2006. I received offers for generic finance graduate roles in London, but my heart wasn&

Inverness-based investment group Envoy has announced a majority investment in Ecosystems Technologies, an award-winning business which designs and manufactures sustainable timber-based modular buildings. The deal marks Envoy’s 30th investment since its inception in 2019, and was announced at t

A global study of venture capital investors and tech developers active in the low-carbon space found that 99% of UK respondents have invested in or already developed a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project, with 79% saying they plan to do so in the next year. The research conducted by Pinsent Mas

Corporate finance advisory firm HNH Partners has reported a record year across its Edinburgh and Belfast offices, completing 40 transactions worth in excess of £525m over the past 12 months despite persistent headwinds in the broader deal market. The mergers and acquisitions specialist has acc