Scottish Business Briefing - Friday 11 October
WELCOME to scotsman.com’s Scottish Business Briefing. Every morning we bring you a comprehensive round-up of all news affecting business in Scotland today.
FINANCE
Lloyds sells Australian operations for £918m
State-backed lender Lloyds Banking Group has agreed to sell its Australian operations to Sydney-based Westpac for about A$1.55 billion (£918 million). (Scotsman
MANAGEMENT
Royal Mail shares surge on market debut
Shares in Royal Mail rose by more than a third when they began trading on the stock market this morning, increasing the value of the business by more than £1 billion. (Scotsman)
ECONOMY
Capita will expand its workforce by 2000 in two years
OUTSOURCING giant Capita Group is confident of adding thousands of people to its Scottish workforce, having already seen staff numbers increase ten-fold in the past seven years. (Herald)
RETAIL
Aberdeen store tops John Lewis sales league
John Lewis has reported a recovery in sales last week, with its Aberdeen store emerging as the best performer. (Scotsman)
TRANSPORT & INDUSTRY
US shutdown sees BAE workers told to stay at home
AROUND 1,200 BAE Systems staff have been told not to report to work in the US as the government shutdown continues. (Scotsman)
Harris Tweed Hebrides plans £1m investment
THE company that has led the revival which pulled the Harris Tweed industry back from the brink has announced plans for a further £1 million investment programme. (Herald)
The Fracking Question - 11th December - Edinburgh
Join us as we hear how fracking challenges the basic premise of the UK energy story – resources are declining and prices are rising. The conference will look at the current and potential impacts of fracking on a local and global scale.
Early bird discount ends Friday 11th of October. Visit (the Scotsman Conferences) website for more details.