Here are the business stories making the headlines locally and across the country this morning.
Pound hits one-month high after Reeves speech
The pound hit its highest level in nearly a month after Rachel Reeves set out plans to increase house building, unblock infrastructure projects and attract private investment as part of a new “national mission” to drive economic growth.
Sterling was up 0.2% against the dollar at $1.284, its highest since June 12, after the Chancellor said that previous governments had been unwilling to make the “difficult decisions to deliver growth”.
Ms Reeves added: “I will not hesitate.”
The Chancellor said she will reinstate mandatory housing targets “so the answer cannot always be no” and announced an immediate end to the “absurd” ban on new onshore wind developments in England.
Bank of England rate-setter casts doubt on August cut
Hopes of a summer interest rate cut have been knocked by a member of the Bank of England's rate-setting committee.
Jonathan Haskel said he wanted to keep interest rates on hold because inflation pressures remain in the jobs market, according to the text of a speech he is due to deliver at King's College London later on Monday.
The document, released by the Bank, said Mr Haskel would declare: "The labour market continues to be tight, and I worry it is still impaired.
"I would rather hold rates until there is more certainty that underlying inflationary pressures have subsided sustainably."
Britvic agrees sweetened £3.3bn takeover by Carlsberg
Britvic has recommended that its shareholders accept a sweetened £3.3bn takeover by Carlsberg, the Danish brewer.
The maker of Robinsons Fruit Shoot and J2O has accepted an increased bid after rejecting an earlier approach at £12.50 a share that had valued the business a £3.1bn.
Carlsberg has now increased its offer to one of £13.15 a share, which represents a premium of 36% to Britvic’s closing share price on the day before the deal was announced and a premium of about 47% to its average share price over the past three months.
The offer includes a 25p-a-share special dividend for Britvic shareholders. Shares in the FTSE 250 drinks company closed up by 54p, or 4.5%, at £12.64.
Aberdeen firm RMSpumptools under new US ownership
Marine engineering services firm James Fisher and Sons has completed the sale of Aberdeen company RMSpumptools for £90 million.
Dyce-based RMS designs and manufactures completion systems and components for electrical submersible pump applications in the oil and gas industry.
It employs about 130 people – including about 40 in Aberdeen – across operations in the UK, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The business is now owned by US-headquartered oilfield technology company ChampionX.