We are very pleased to introduce our new member, Scandinavian Trust. Scandinavian Trust offers Corporate Management and Secretarial services to local and foreign business owners. Their clients are international entrepreneurs and global businesses with local personnel, a branch or a holding company in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Key services include domiciliation and directorships, along with accounting and payroll. They also provide many other services such as management of bank relations, liquidations, ...

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We are delighted to introduce our newest Patron, Fitch Ratings Fitch Rating is a leading provider of credit ratings, commentary, and research. Dedicated to providing value beyond the rating through independent and prospective credit opinions, Fitch Ratings offers global perspectives shaped by strong local market experience and credit market expertise. The additional context, perspective, and insights we provide help investors to make important credit judgments with confidence. Fitch Group is a global ...

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G7 in Japan The Hiroshima G7 summit marked continued support and cooperation between the members following rounds of meetings in Japan over the weekend. US President Biden confirmed on Friday (19th May) that the US will support a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighter jets. The G7 also took a united position on China with its strongest condemnation yet on the superpower in a joint communique. PM Sunak also ...

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Bank of England Interest Rates The Bank of England (BoE) has raised interest rates to 4.5% on Thursday (11th May) after warning that the UK will not hit its inflation target (2%) until 2025. UK interest rates are now at their highest level since 2008 after the BoE admitted that it had underestimated the persistence and strength of food price rises. Last month inflation was recorded at 10.1% and the BoE ...

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The Coronation Weekend The Coronation of The King and The Queen was conducted at Westminster Abbey on Saturday (6th May). The service incorporated longstanding traditions and pageantry with forward-looking adjustments in front of 2,300 guests. Over 100 heads of state were in attendance for Europe’s only royal family who continue to host coronations. Over 7,000 troops and 19 military bands were involved in the procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. ...

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Aberdeen’s Net Zero Port The Port of Aberdeen, established in 1136, is investing £55m to become the UK’s first net zero port by 2040. Specifically, the port is targeting net zero emissions from the port’s operations and from vessels visiting the port. The initiative will work to promote low carbon alternative fuels through trials of vegetable oil fuels for port-owned vehicles. The Port of Aberdeen’s CEO described the “pivotal role in the ...

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UK Economy Above Pre-Pandemic Levels Revised figures for January now reveal that UK GDP is 0.3% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. New data also suggests an increased likelihood that growth outpaced forecasts in the first three months of 2023. Last month, the fiscal watchdog warned that Q1 of 2023 would show a 0.4% contraction but this appears to have failed to materialise. Economists labelled this an “accomplishment” but the recovery ...

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UK Retail The number of shoppers visiting stores at the weekend increased 9.7% in March compared to the previous year, according to the British Retail Consortium. However, this still remains 10.2% below pre-pandemic levels which has been attributed to the rise in online shopping and the “challenging economic environment”. The change in working patterns, with the rise in hybrid working, is partially responsible for a disproportionate increase in weekend shopping. Total UK ...

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UK Commercial Property Dealmaking Rises In the first quarter of 2023, investors pumped £6bn into UK office, retail and industrial buildings following record lows in Q4 of 2022. However, dealmaking is still equal to around half of its 10 year average- partially as a result of central London property declining in value and the cost of debt rising. 2023 has already seen several large deals such as Deutsche Bank’s Winchester House ...

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We are are always curious about the challenges and possibilities our member companies are facing within their industries. This week we are happy to share updates from Intrum and BCC. Intrum has received a B score in Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a higher score than the global average as well as among other credit management servicers. This score signifies how Intrum is setting the direction for their industry when it comes ...

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