Manufacturing sector growth slows

UK manufacturing sector growth slowed to almost a halt in April but factory gate prices surged at the fastest pace since comparable records began in 1999 - highlighting the inflationary pressures tipped to prevent another cut in interest rates next week.

Some caution, but no crisis for Corum

Corum, the upmarket estate agent, yesterday shrugged off the doom-and-gloom prophesies that have pervaded the residential property market, with first-quarter sales already 2% up on last year.

First gas starts to flow from Caravel field

Shell UK and Esso have brought the first gas ashore from the new Caravel field in the North Sea through a wind and solar-powered platform which has zero CO2 emissions.

Corsie Group chief executive quits

Former world bowls champion Richard Corsie last night quit his eponymous Corsie Group leaving his finance and sales directors as the remaining members of its board.

Price rises weighing on traditional Scottish fare

Shoppers might have to stomach rising prices for traditional Scottish fare, including shortbread and Scotch pies, after two key manufacturers warned they were being hit by rising food prices.

Trespass sets focus on retail

Profits at the Trespass outdoor clothing empire owned by Afzal and Akmal Khushi fell for the second year running but the brothers remain confident that earnings will improve when recently-opened stores bed down.

	Au Naturale creditors offered 25p in the pound
	Creditors of Ossian Retail, the beleaguered owner of fashion and homeware chains Internacionale and Au Naturale, have been summoned to a take-it-or-leave-it meeting tomorrow, where they will be offered just 25p in the pound.

Royal Bank to pay itself £6m of fundraising costs

Royal Bank of Scotland estimates it will have to pay £246m in advisers' fees and other costs connected with its £12bn rights issue, including £6m to itself, it emerged last night.

Federal Reserve applies brake to rate-cutting effort

The Federal Reserve pushed the pause button on its aggressive rate-cutting campaign last night, trimming only a quarter-point off the cost of borrowing in its battle to lift an economy that has been left reeling.

House prices show 1% fall year-on-year

UK house prices fell year-on-year for the first time for 12 years in April, Nationwide's latest monthly survey showed yesterday.

Exports of whisky hit record level

Scotland's whisky industry set new records for exports in 2007, earning £90 every second for Britain's balance of trade, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) announced yesterday.

Moody’s changes outlook on HBOS from stable to negative

Worries that HBOS might need to take even more writedowns on its investments in mortgage-related securities have prompted its debt to be downgraded by ratings service Moody's and a slew of negative reports from analysts.

Water of life will flow at Annandale

Whisky production will resume at a disused distillery in Dumfries and Galloway for the first time in 90 years.

BG calls on state to secure future of North Sea oil

BG Group yesterday unveiled bumper first-quarter results while demanding government support to further develop its North Sea fields as a matter of national interest.

Standard Life figures beat expectations

Standard Life shares edged up 1.1% yesterday after the company surpassed expectations with its sales figures but warned that future performance would depend on the state of equity markets.

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