Scottish business wire: M&S | PMI | Dundee port

The main business stories of the day plus recent investments and grants achieved by Scottish firms.

Betting giant William Hill today said full-year profits would be at the top end of its target as plans to turn around its struggling online business began to bear fruit. Picture: Neil Hanna.

In full: Scottish Marks & Spencer stores at risk of closure

An unofficial list of Marks & Spencer stores at risk of closure includes three branches north of the Border. The Local Data Company (LDC) has published a list of stores that it believes could be under threat – including in Aberdeen, Ayr and Dundee – after M&S said last week that it would be axeing 30 clothing and homewares branches as part of a renewed focus on food. M&S said: “We are very disappointed that anyone would choose to speculate in this way.”

Scotland’s private companies show lacklustre growth

Marks & Spencer said it was 'very disappointed' with the list. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Scotland’s private sector barely edged into growth last month as it faced the headwinds of continuing higher input prices amid the fall in the value of sterling and flat new business activity, a new report out today shows. Output growth slackened and the volume of incomplete work rose in October, says the latest Bank of Scotland purchasing managers’ index (PMI), while stagnation in new order intakes followed a marginal expansion in September.

New North Sea waste hub planned for port of Dundee

Forth Ports and Augean North Sea Services (ANSS) have unveiled a project to open a “state of the art” decommissioning waste management hub at the port of Dundee ­early next year. The new 25,000 sq ft material transfer facility is aimed at enabling the port to offer an integrated service to the emerging North Sea decommissioning market.

Bill Jamieson: What now for markets as Trump takes charge?

Marks & Spencer said it was 'very disappointed' with the list. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

“Donald Trump as President? Sell everything and head for the hills!” writes Bill Jamieson. “That was the initial reaction in markets as the US election results leaned towards a victory for the champion of the Deplorables. But that ­conventional wisdom barely lasted two hours as an emollient victory speech saw stock markets round the world ­somersault. The high-spending, tax-slashing Trump would be great for shares!”

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RECENT INVESTMENTS

Company: Pick Protection, Glasgow

Industry: Attack alarms

Amount of investment: £744,000

Investors: Equity Gap, University of Strathclyde, Gabriel Investment Syndicate, Scottish Investment Bank and Unipart

Company: Traveltek, East Kilbride

Industry: Travel software

Amount of investment: £5,300,000

Investors: YFM Equity Partners

Company: snap40, Edinburgh

Industry: Healthcare technology

Amount of investment: £2,000,000

Investors: Par Equity and private investors

Company: Swipii, Glasgow

Industry: Customer loyalty

Amount of investment: £2,000,000

Investors: Undisclosed

RECENT GRANTS

Company: Collagen Solutions, Glasgow

Industry: Life sciences

Grant awarded: €500,000 (£450,000)

Type of grant: EU Horizon 2020

Company: Omega Diagnostics, Alva

Industry: Life sciences

Grant awarded: £1,800,000

Type of grant: Scottish Enterprise R&D