Business news in brief: Kames Capital | Berkeley
Firms north of the Border recorded a confidence score of +32.5 for the third quarter compared with a UK average of +24, the latest ICAEW/Grant Thornton UK business confidence monitor reveals.
It notes that confidence levels in Scotland have been on a general upward trend since the final quarter of 2011 and this is the sixth consecutive quarter that Scotland’s score has been in positive territory.
Kames adds Baines to high–yield team
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Hide AdFund manager Kames Capital has names Stephen Baines as a fixed income manager at its high-yield bond team.
The appointment of Baines, who has joined the Edinburgh-based firm from Oriel Asset Management, comes after former support manager Claire McGuckin was promoted to co-manager of the £1.5 billion high yield bond fund in June.
Phil Milburn, McGuckin’s fellow co-manager, said Baines, who started his career at Baillie Gifford and has nine years’ fund management experience, “will be an asset to the team”.
Berkeley investors to share £568m
Housebuilder Berkeley Group remains on track to hand £568 million to shareholders within the next two years as UK government schemes drive a “tentative” recovery in sentiment among consumers.
Through a combination of share buy-backs and dividends, the group is aiming to return more than £1.7 billion to investors by 2021.
Shareholders will receive a total of £77.3m in dividends this month, and chairman Tony Pidgley said a further £471.5m will be paid by September 2015.