Inflation fears push business confidence to two-year low

Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.

1. Business confidence in Scotland has fallen to its lowest in 23-months amid worries over inflation and orders, research has found.

The Royal Bank of Scotland’s monthly growth tracker found optimism in November dropped as companies expressed concerns about future output levels. The headline activity index was 51.1 with more than 50 companies indicating expansion.

There was a solid performance” from service sector firms while manufacturers recorded a contraction in their performance.

Judith Cruickshank, the chairwoman of the Scotland board at RBS, also pointed to “a notable intensification of price pressures” which could be a headwind for growth ambitions.

Innes Smith said Springfield Properties was in a good position to address the housing shortage

2. Scotland’s largest housebuilder has said buyer confidence is continuing