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Economy & Markets

Little cheer on first day of trading

Debenhams claws back losses as market jitters continue

Debenhams
Debenhams shares were sharp fallers in early trade   The first day of trading in the new year got off to a jittery start with the London market dragged downRead More

Buying rises unexpectedly

Stockpiling rises as firms prepare for Brexit border delays

Port of Grangemouth
British companies are stockpiling at near-record levels as they prepare for possible border delays when Britain leaves the EU. The latest IHS Markit/CIPS Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index rose unexpectedly toRead More

Trends defy benign economy

20 firms and 230 individuals to go bust each week in 2019

Coping with debt (pic Debt Support Trust)
About 230 individuals in Scotland and 20 companies will go bust each week this year, despite low interest rates and relatively benign economic conditions. It is expected that 12,000 individualsRead More

US talks fail to inspire investors

Markets end on downbeat note despite Trump’s China lift

Markets defied hopes of ending the year on a high note and the UK blue-chip index ended its worst year since the 2008 financial crisis in the red. A strengthening poundRead More

Market report

US recovers as investors seek focus in global economy

London Stock Exchange
Market gyrations continued today with US markets enjoying a late rally after plunging in early trade. Asian stocks were lifted by Wall Street’s recovery. Following the 1,000-point rise in theRead More

Retail figures boost sentiment

Dow Jones enjoys record one-day rebound after Christmas Eve rout

Donald Trump
Wall St enjoyed a post-Christmas surge as the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared more than 1,000 points for the first time on Wednesday. A sharp rise in Christmas shopping helpedRead More

Sharp falls continue

Asia follows Wall St lower as Mnuchin’s market move backfires

Traders on Wall St (pic: NYSE)
Asian markets followed the US with steep falls as investors continued to fret over President Donald Trump’s relations with the Federal Reserve and slowing world growth. The Nikkei closed downRead More

Setback for construction firm

Kier shares hit as £250 million rights issue falls short of target

Kier
Kier’s underwriters may have to pick up the shortfall   Construction company Kier Group shares fell after it revealed that just 38% of stock in its rights issue were taken up. TheRead More

Slower growth north of border

Scottish GDP gap with UK widens while inflation falls

FNZ offices (FNZ website)
Business growth is slower in Scotland than for the UK   The Scottish economy grew by 0.3% in third quarter, half the 0.6% rate for the whole of the UK,Read More

Warning of no time to prepare

Businesses ‘watching in horror’ as Cabinet plots No Deal Brexit

Adam Marshall
Adam Marshall: ‘Businesses are unprepared for no deal’ (pic: Terry Murden)   Businesses have warned there is no time to prepare for a No Deal Brexit and are switching investmentRead More