News

Pensioners will be forced to hand over their bank statements to the Department for Work and Pensions as part of the government's crackdown on the growing benefits system. The DWP is aiming to cut £370m from the benefits bill and will inform thousands of pensioners they will need to provide ban

Columbia Threadneedle Private Equity Trust saw its share price discount to Net Asset Value (NAV) widen from 21.2% to 28.9% in the six months to June 30, 2026, driving a 9.3% fall in its share price total return despite NAV holding broadly flat. The company's NAV was £497.0 million, equivalent

Hero Media & Entertainment (HM&E), the Scotland-based digital news media and events company, has appointed Donald Martin as consulting managing editor. He will provide editorial guidance and support across the company’s growing portfolio of titles, which includes Daily Business, S

The UK collected a record £24.2 billion in capital gains tax in 2024/25, according to new data released on Thursday, following Rachel Reeves' decision to raise the rate in her first Budget. HM Revenue & Customs revealed an 89% increase in capital gains tax receipts compared with the previo

Tributes have been paid to "pioneer" Geraldine Maloney as the City and financial services community mourned the loss of "one of its most respected and loved" after she died following a long battle with illness. The Quilter veteran began her career at Foster & Braithwaite in July 1985 as a dealer

KPMG has been appointed as liquidators of JPMorgan Global Core Real Assets after shareholders approved plans to voluntarily wind up the fund at an extraordinary general meeting. Shareholders approved all four resolutions with more than 99% support, with the special resolution to voluntarily wind up

Junior staff could be ordered back to the office more frequently as part of a push to sharpen their 'human skills' as artificial intelligence (AI) begins to take over a growing proportion of technical work. Consulting executives said AI had made interpersonal skills more valuable, arguing these skil

Lloyds Banking Group has appointed Kelly Bennett as an independent non-executive director to its boards. Mr Bennett served as a chief marketing officer with Netflix from 2012 until 2019. He previously held senior positions within Warner Bros Entertainment, including vice president, interactive, worl

Invest2Scale has unveiled a new series of masterclasses aimed at helping Scotland's scaling businesses become more investable, with sessions on financial planning, capital raising and investor readiness. The initiative founded by Eden Scott, Cazenove Capital, MBM Commercial and CT, replaces the grou

Scottish businesses drove demand for lending, despite many firms reporting tightening cash flows, according to the new data from Barclays. The Barclays Business Prosperity Index found that among large corporates in Scotland, average loan value rose by 10.3% and loan volumes increased by 18.3% this q

Prudential's operating profit before tax rose 9% to $1.81 billion in the first half to June 30, as the insurer raised its interim dividend by 15% and unveiled a further $300m share buyback. The firm reported that its adjusted operating profit after tax increased by 10% to $1.52bn. Adjusted earnings

Banking and credit card providers attracted six times more complaints than the average across all other financial services sectors, according to new analysis. Analysis by Huntswood, a subsidiary of ResultCX, found the average number of complaints handled over six months was 15,360 for organisations

Anas Sarwar has pledged his commitment to Scotland's financial services sector following a meeting with BlackRock and other industry leaders in Edinburgh. Lord Sarwar stepped down as leader of the Scottish Labour Party before taking up a seat in the House of Lords, so he could take a job within Andy

Alternative Income Reit (AIRE) has urged its shareholders to vote against Glenstone REIT's offer to take over the company, accusing it of creating "unwarranted uncertainty" about the future of the fund. The board of AIRE launched the scathing attack against its largest shareholder, claiming it has f

Accountancy firm Hall Morrice has revealed plans to launch a dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) service following a record year. The Aberdeen-based business recorded turnover reaching £6.2 million, due to an increase in its statutory audit work and demand for its advisory services.