Scottish Business Briefing - Wednesday 7 July, 2011

ECONOMY

Service sector troubles set to keep interest rates on ice

AN INTEREST rate freeze this week was virtually sealed yesterday as a key report showed Britain's all-important service sector was failing to drag the economy out of the mire (Scotsman).

Read all today's economics news from scotsman.com

ENERGY & UTILITIES

North Sea firms welcome 50m tax U-turn after big Budget grab

HE government has moved to appease oil and gas companies with a new tax break for exploration after its 10 billion tax grab on the industry in the Budget (Scotsman).

Read all today's energy and utilities news from scotsman.com

FOOD, DRINK & AGRICULTURE

Scots wine firms uncork merger for better vintage

TWO of Scotland's leading wine businesses have combined to give them the muscle to compete harder at the quality end of the market across the UK against a tough economic backdrop (Herald).

Read all today's food, drink and agriculture news from scotsman.com

INDUSTRY

Persimmon says dip is only a blip as it forecasts better times

SCOTLAND's largest housebuilder saw completions and turnover dip in the first half, but forecast a second-half recovery in a gradually stabilising housing market (Scotsman).

Gap Holdings back in black as firms outsource

GAP Holdings, the Glasgow-based plant hire giant, has surged back into the black as more contractors dispose of their inhouse plant divisions in the troubled economic climate and opt to outsource instead (Herald).

Read all today's industry news from scotsman.com

TECHNOLOGY

Flu misery has a silver lining as Axis-Shield forecasts spike in profit

SHARES in medical testing kit maker Axis-Shield soared by 5.2 per cent yesterday after the Dundee-based firm predicted a 10 per cent jump in half-year sales thanks to a busier flu season (Scotsman).

Read all today's technology news from scotsman.com