The Supreme Court begins a three-day hearing on Tuesday to determine whether millions of motorists are in line for compensation.

A Court of Appeal judgement last year sent shockwaves through the car finance sector, when it ruled that hidden commission payments to dealers were unlawful.

Companies claim they did nothing wrong, and said they await much-needed clarity from the Supreme Court judges.

Lenders, including major banks, have set aside huge sums of money as millions of people who bought new and used cars on finance could potentially make a claim for hundreds of pounds.

Some analysts believe that lenders ranging from the finance arms of car manufacturers to banks could be on the hook for customer compensation totalling as much as £44 billion. 

SSE

SSE is well-placed to capitalise on the renewables transition and has a new CEO waiting in the wings who has been playing a big role in the strategy.

Some may be surprised, therefore that the shares have slipped to two-and-a-half-year lows, though AJ Bell analysts say the slide may be more to do with rising bond yields than the fundamental prospects of the business, which looks to be performing as expected.

The Perth-based company delivers a trading update this week and the market is looking for a full-year dividend of 64.3p a share, up from 60p last year, with further progress to 68.7p for the year to March 2026 – although SSE may not discuss this until the full-year results statement on 21 May.

“This statement will, instead, more likely focus on operational performance,” say Bell’s analysts. “The key here will be whether SSE sticks to its earnings growth guidance for the year to March 2025 and the board’s target for March 2027.”

The growth plan rests upon its investment in renewables, and the good news is that SSE can already point to a substantial uplift in profits from its investment in renewables in the first half results for the year.

Artisanal Spirts Company

Artisanal Spirits Company, which owns the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, is said to be trading in line with forecasts and has invested in its US operations.

ASC has responded to the opportunity for growth in the US by investing a further £0.5m in the society’s American wing. It will mean a one-off reduction in EBITDA in FY25.

DIARY

Monday 31 March

• Full-year results from Artisanal Spirits Company
• First-half results from YouGov and Victoria Plumbing
• UK mortgage approvals

Tuesday 1 April

• Full-year results from Serica Energy
• BRC UK shop price index
• Ruling on motor finance

Wednesday 2 April

• Full-year results from Raspberry Pi, SSE
• Petroineos officials face MPs on the Scottish Affairs Committee
• Scottish Property Federation conference

Thursday 3 April

• Trading statement from Moonpig