Search: financial focus

A Scottish council has been forced to defend its £2.3 million investment in a multi-national tobacco company while at the same time promoting a host of anti-smoking public health initiatives. Scottish Borders Council came under fire from health charities over its pension fund’s investment in Brit

Alliance Trust has said that it is surprised by a move by investor interest group ShareSoc to support a boardroom overhaul proposed by American activist group Elliott Investors. The Dundee-based investment giant is at the heart of a tussle with leading shareholder Elliott, a US fund agitating for bo

Seraphim Space Investment Trust’s net asset value (NAV) per ordinary share more than doubled to 240.49p in the year to 30 June 2026, helping narrow its discount from 27.8% to 21.9%, as defence demand and major funding rounds lifted its portfolio. The gains were heavily concentrated in one comp

M&G has launched its first long-term asset fund (LTAF), funded through the firm’s £138bn with-profits fund. The M&G Diversified Private Credit Feeder Long-Term Asset Fund will launch with £74m, with 90% of its assets invested into the M&G Diversified Private Credit Fund

Royal Bank of Scotland-owner NatWest Group's annual general meeting in Edinburgh was thrown into disarray after protesters disrupted proceedings for approximately half an hour, forcing the bank to temporarily halt its shareholder meeting. As chairman Rick Haythornthwaite was delivering his opening s

A Staffordshire construction worker who was kept off work for months due to an accident has struck gold after winning a £72k Aston Martin Vantage with a 21p raffle ticket.

Susie Lind, partner in the Edinburgh office of international law firm CMS, has been appointed as chair of Scottish Renewables. Ms Lind – who joined the law firm last November – succeeds Adam Morrison, the UK country manager for Ocean Winds, who served in the role from 2021.

Professor Joe Nellis comments on the Bank of England's decision on Wednesday to hold the base interest rate at 3.75%. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has opted for caution in the wake of a rise in inflation to 3.4% in December, voting to keep interest rates unchanged at its first meeting of 2026

Demand for commercial property in Scotland edged up in the last quarter of 2025 according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) commercial property monitor, and, despite clear challenges remaining, surveyors appear cautiously optimistic for both rents and capital values this

Kingdom Housing Association’s (KHA) commitment to tackling the housing emergency has received a crucial boost thanks to £13 million of funding arranged by Allia C&C through its Charitable Bond programme in partnership with the Scottish Government. The Charitable Bonds programme provi

Late payments are becoming an increasing problem for UK tradespeople, according to new research by Direct Line business insurance, with over half (53%) saying they are experiencing more late payments than a year ago.

Lismore’s quarterly investor research and in-depth expert interviews indicate that 2026 is expected to present meaningful opportunities for the Scottish commercial property investment market. 86% of investors expressing a positive outlook, only slightly below last year’s 88%. Optimism is

Glasgow-based Prime Property Auctions has recorded its most successful month of commercial sales to date, surpassing the £1 million threshold within a single 30-day period for the first time since its launch three years ago. The record-breaking run was capped by the sale of a large social club

Jonny Seddon shares some insight from the recent Interlaw Global Meeting in Edinburgh, which sparked discussion around how developers and investors are navigating uncertainty in the Scottish real estate market. After years of political shifts, rising costs and funding pressures, Scotland’s rea

Recent press articles are heightening speculation around the potential introduction of a National Insurance levy on partnership profits. Professional services firms may therefore be facing a pivotal moment, Louise Cupples writes. A thinktank proposal suggests a 6.9% tax on partnership profits - aime