Search: financial focus

A Glasgow-based construction skills provider has been sold for more than £2.2 million, almost £400,000 above its original valuation.  The deal was secured following a competitive sale process led by M&A advisory and business finance firm Hilton Smythe.

UK CPI inflation has remained frozen at 3.4% in May, after the Office for National Statistics corrected April's 3.5% reading to 3.4%. Annual food inflation surged to 4.4% last month, a notable rise from 3.4% in April. This was spurred by the fastest-ever recorded increases in the price of sugar, jam

Nearly one in six inward investment projects in the UK last year were secured in Scotland, according to new data published by EY.

Insolvency-related activity in Scotland hit a 29-month high in May 2025, according to new research from R3. The insolvency and restructuring trade body's analysis of data provided by Creditsafe shows there were 141 cases of insolvency-related activity in Scotland in May – the highest number on

RSM UK’s regional managing partner for Scotland, Ross Stupart, examines the potential ramifications of the recent UK government Spending Review for Scottish businesses and the subsequent fiscal decisions the Scottish Government faces. With the UK suffering sluggish domestic growth, falling emp

Armstrong Watson’s head of payroll has received national recognition for her devoted contribution to the payroll industry. Karen Thomson has been named among the most influential people in the payroll and reward industry by Reward Strategy on its Partner 50 list for 2025 – which features

The UK economy contracted by 0.3% in April, a sharper decline than economists had forecast. Data released by the Office for National Statistics on Thursday revealed a more substantial downturn than the 0.1% contraction that had been anticipated, reversing the 0.2% growth seen in March.

Edinburgh-headquartered BR-DGE has announced the latest global alternative payment method (APM) supported on its platform, through a strategic partnership with AstroPay, a global digital wallet service. AstroPay is now integrated with BR-DGE’s platform, making it available as an alternative pa

The internal audit team at Wbg has secured seven new clients in the first quarter of 2025 and retained a further five following competitive re-tenders, generating a recurring fee income of over £285,000. The team’s expanded public sector client portfolio includes contract wins for N

Capital Credit Union (CCU) has reported unprecedented growth in its loan book, driven by a surge in member demand for energy-efficient home improvements across Scotland. CCU introduced its green loan in April 2024, and while initial uptake was modest at £90,000, the initiative has since achiev

Organised criminals have accessed the records of approximately 100,000 taxpayers, leading to an estimated £47 million loss for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The breach, which occurred last year, was not a direct cyber attack on HMRC's systems but rather the result of multiple sophisticated ph

Dwello, a new residential lettings agency, has commenced operations in Glasgow's West End with an ambitious target of managing 1,000 properties within its first two years. Founded by experienced landlord, Stephen McKechnie, who has assembled a team of industry experts, Dwello aims to simplify the le

Lindsays has appointed Ken Dinneen as its new head of finance, taking over from Jim Kinloch, who retires after seven years with the firm. Mr Dinneen brings decades of experience in legal services to his new role, which commenced last week. He joins Lindsays from Balfour & Manson, where he served

Lucy Dimes has stepped down from her position as chief executive of Scottish cloud computing firm Iomart, less than two years after taking the helm. Her departure follows that of previous chief executive Reece Donovan, who left abruptly in September 2023. Ms Dimes had combined the chief executive ro