English chain acquires Happit from administration

Happit, the Sottish value retailer, has been acquired by a Leeds-based stores business after a lightning administration.

US Fed highlights inflation dangers as rates are held

The US Federal Reserve last night highlighted growing inflation dangers in the world’s largest economy as it held benchmark interest rates at 2% – ending a run of interest-rate cuts which began last September.

	Invocas shares soar as debt squeeze grips white collar workers
	Invocas shares soared almost 40% yesterday as the debt solutions company appeared to have convinced investors of a turnaround in its fortunes.

Barclays boosted by £4.5bn injection

Barclays' shares surged 6.5% yesterday after it announced a £4.5bn capital injection from largely foreign investors, but doubts still remain about the level of its exposure to risky investments.

	Souter wants new timetable for West Coast line delayed
	Stagecoach chief Brian Souter yesterday warned that a new timetable planned for the West Coast Main Line should be delayed because Network Rail hasn’t proved it can maintain the line.

CBI survey reveals weakness in retail sector

A Downbeat survey of UK high street conditions yesterday from the Confederation of British Industry made last week’s news of a 3.5% month-on-month rise in official retail sales in May look even more strange.

Braveheart Investment revises tactics to meet challenge posed by slowdown

Braveheart Investment, the Scotland-based syndicate of business angels, yesterday unveiled a healthy pre-tax profit for its first year as a listed company – but said that as the economy slows and the credit crunch continues to bite it will invest in fewer new companies in 2008.

SSE set to create more wind farms in Portugal

Scottish & Southern Energy yesterday announced the creation of two fresh joint ventures to create an additional 400 megawatts of windfarm capacity in Portugal.

Finance director Andrews resigns post at Maxima

Linda Andrews, one of the driving forces behind the fast-growing Scottish information technology firm Maxima Holdings, is to resign from her post as finance director on “health grounds”, the company said yesterday.

	Grim picture for housing market in loan approvals
	Fresh mortgage approvals for house purchase in the UK plummeted even further to yet another record low in May, according to industry figures yesterday which point to prolonged weakness in the residential property market.

SNP candidate Crawford to take up post at Seeda

Former Scottish Enterprise chief Robert Crawford is to lead the economic development of the south-east of England.

Edinburgh vulnerable to heavy job losses

Edinburgh is most exposed to the consequences of the credit crunch and the slowdown in housing markets among UK cities, after London.

SMG to rebrand itself as stv Group

SMG, the Glasgow-based Scottish media group, is to splash out on a new corporate identity that will see it reborn into a former incarnation - except, this time, without capital letters.

The world’s rich just keep getting richer

The richest in society are getting increasingly wealthy despite the impact of the credit crunch, research by investment bank Merrill Lynch and consultant Capgemini has revealed.

B&B shares rocket after rejection of Cowdery’s proposal

Shares in Bradford & Bingley soared 17.1% yesterday despite the board's rejection of a £400m restructuring plan from Clive Cowdery's investment vehicle Resolution.

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