Economy

New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has shown a recent slowdown in monthly mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity, as domestic M&A deals were valued at £2.9 billion for Q2 2022 - £0.9bn less than Q1 (£3.9bn). Data suggests M&A activity has been

Figures compiled by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) have shown that businesses and communities supported by the agency achieved a strong performance in 2021/22 despite considerable economic disruption and uncertainty. Investments during the year supported businesses and social enterprises to

Around £500 million in savings have been found as resources are focused on tackling the “harsh reality” of the cost of living crisis, deputy first minister John Swinney has said. He updated the Scottish parliament on steps being taken to meet the increased costs of public sector pa

Accountants have given their immediate response to the announcement that Liz Truss is to be the new leader of the Conservative Party and the next Prime Minister, calling for "significant government support" to help people overcome the current financial challenges. Kirsty McGregor, founder of Th

BrewDog has announced the closure of six of its pubs, three of which are in Scotland. The decision comes just after the Scottish craft beer company opened up its biggest bar in London's Waterloo two weeks ago.

New research has revealed widespread anxiety and pessimism about Scotland’s economic outlook. The key findings of the research, produced in partnership between the David Hume Institute and the Diffley Partnership, on economic attitudes and behaviours are:

New research predicts that the economy will go into recession before the end of the year, lasting until 2024, and that inflation could double, reaching a peak of 22.4% early next year. The research from American investment bank, Goldman Sachs, has projected higher inflation levels than Citi bank's f

Energy regulator Ofgem has today announced that the price cap for energy bills will increase to £3,549 per year for dual fuel for an average household from 1 October 2022, an 80% increase on February’s price cap. Ofgem said the increase reflects the continued rise in global wholesal

The Scottish Government has announced that thousands of businesses can now apply for up to £15,000 to help retrain and upskill their workforce. The Flexible Workforce Development Fund provides workers in organisations of all sizes with access to training courses through local colleges, the Ope

The Consumer Prices Index has risen to 10.1% in the 12 months to July, the highest it has been since 1982. A 0.6% increase from 9.4% in June, now the highest level of inflation in 40 years, has surpassed economists' forecasts of 9.8%, worsening the cost of living crisis. Some experts speculate the B

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has estimated that the country's GDP contracted by 0.6% in June and 0.1% for Q2. The June decrease is attributed to the Platinum Jubilee and the move of the May bank holiday leading to "an additional working day in May 2022 and two fewer working days in

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG released research reporting a 2.3% increase in sales in July (on a total basis), a 1.6% like-for-like basis increase from July 2021. Although there is an increase in sales, volume is down. This is attributed to rising inflation and households cutting back

The Post Office has posted figures showing that a record £801 million in personal cash withdrawals were made in July.

The Treasury has collected a record £14.3 billion in capital gains tax (CGT) in the last financial year, an increase of 42% from the previous period. The record sum was realised on £80bn of gains. This is attributed to rushed sales of buy-to-let homes and growing house prices as an all-t

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has announced an interest rate hike of 0.5% today in the face of rising inflation. At its meeting ending on 3 August 2022, the MPC voted by a majority of 8-1 to increase Bank Rate by 0.5 percentage points, to 1.75%. One member preferre