Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
UK rail firms urged to issue ‘yellow card’ warnings instead of penalty
Train firms have been urged by the rail passenger watchdog to give a “yellow card” to people travelling without the correct ticket rather than rush to fines or prosecution.
Transport Focus said a new system was needed to ensure that passengers who had made an honest mistake were not punished unfairly, amid growing concern at measures being taken to tackle fare evasion.
A number of passengers have been penalised or prosecuted for minor discrepancies, including some who were fined more than £400 when inadvertently using railcards incorrectly and saving less than £2.
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Murphy’s boosted by ‘overwhelming’ demand amid Guinness shortage
The Guinness shortage that swept across the nation in the run-up to Christmas proved a blessing for Murphy’s.
Heineken, the Dutch brewing giant that owns Murphy’s, enjoyed record sales of the Irish stout over Christmas amid “overwhelming” demand.
Sales of Murphy’s across pubs and bars in the UK were up 632% in December, Heineken said, after steady sales growth on a monthly basis over the course of last year.
Currys to reinstate dividends after Nordic arm returns to growth
Currys has pledged to resume dividend payments and beat profit forecasts after Christmas shoppers stocked up on drones, artificial intelligence-driven laptops and “super-size” televisions.
Shares in the UK’s biggest electronics retailer closed up 8¾p, or 10.7%, at 90¾p after the company said it expected pre-tax profits of between £145million and £155million in this financial year, ahead of the City consensus of £140million.
The profit boost was partly driven by a 2% rise in like-for-like group sales in the ten weeks to January 4, fuelled by market-beating sales in the UK and Ireland and an improved performance in its troubled Nordics arm.
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BT scraps plan for 60,000 electric car chargers after installing just one
BT has scrapped a major electric car charging scheme after installing just one charging point.
The telecoms giant last year outlined plans to convert old broadband street cabinets into electric vehicle (EV) charging points. Around 60,000 cabinets had been earmarked for possible conversion in what bosses described as a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to boost the number of chargers across the country.
But Etc, BT’s digital start-up unit, has abandoned the pilot scheme after converting only one cabinet. The site, in East Lothian in Scotland, will be decommissioned next month.
Musk sued over buying Twitter shares at artificially low prices by US finance regulator
Elon Musk is being sued for failing to disclose his purchase of more than 5% of Twitter stock in a timely fashion.
The world's richest man bought the stock in March 2022 and the complaint by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said the delay allowed him to continue buying Twitter stock at artificially low prices.
In papers filed in Washington DC federal court, the SEC said the move allowed Mr Musk to underpay by at least $150m (£123m).