Recruiter obtains court order against former employees

A leading Scottish recruitment company has obtained a court order against two former employees after a surveillance operation caught them using confidential client information.

SVM doubles pre-tax profits in wake of push into retail market

SVM Asset Management, the Edinburgh fund group, more than doubled pre-tax profits last year from £1.2m to £2.6m, as a successful push into the retail market restored its momentum.

Carphone Warehouse customers in for not-so-rude awakening

The diary: There was an immediate sign of the changing times at Carphone Warehouse after the company sold half of its retail business to US electronics giant Best Buy this week.

Airport authority promotes Edinburgh high-flier

BAA, the Spanish-owned company that operates Scotland's three main air terminals, said yesterday it has appointed David Johnston - currently managing director of Edinburgh Airport - as group procurement director.

Festival Inns records loss for second year running

Festival Inns, the Edinburgh-based leisure empire owned by entrepreneur Kenneth Waugh, has posted a second successive annual loss. However, it says the pub smoking ban has been "on the whole positive".

EDF bid for British Energy put at under 700p a share

EDF, the state-controlled French utility, made a takeover offer yesterday for British Energy, the UK's nuclear power provider.

Olympic victory for Aggreko

Temporary power company Aggreko has won the contract to supply the Vancouver 2010 winter Olympics, it was announced yesterday.

Testing times for motorists out to drive down cost of insurance

Plans to toughen the driving test announced this week could eventually cut car insurance costs for all drivers - but only if insurers change their charging habits.

Dobbies faces legal battle with Sir Tom Hunter

Garden centre chain Dobbies was today set for a legal clash with billionaire entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter over its plans to raise £150 million from shareholders.

Freescale sale plan runs into dead end

Freescale Semiconductor conceded finally yesterday that it was "unlikely" to find a buyer to continue production at its East Kilbride fabrication plant - a view its employees have held since its plans to quit the site were revealed by The Herald 11 months ago.

	Decision day for parties interested in British Energy
	At least three companies - Spanish energy group Iberdrola, French utility EDF and the German-based power generator RWE - are expected to submit bids for British Energy when the deadline for offers expires today.

Lloyds TSB in cautious mood

Eric Daniels, the chief executive of Lloyds TSB, and the rest of banking giant's board of directors yesterday could hardly contain their self-satisfaction amid the global credit crunch that had rocked almost everyone's world but theirs.

MPC holds off rate cut... for now

The Bank of England yesterday declined to implement consecutive monthly cuts in benchmark UK interest rates, with inflation fears likely to have led to it staying its hand in spite of signs that economic growth is slowing sharply.

Bank’s assets ‘hold no appeal’ for Royal & Sun

Insurer Royal & Sun Alliance distanced itself yesterday from reports that it might be in the frame to buy parts of Royal Bank of Scotland' s £5bn insurance business.

BPI first-half earnings hit by currency woes

British Polythene Industries (BPI) said performance had improved since April but that results for the first half would still be behind those of last year.

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