Bede's losses shrink

X-RAY technology firm Bede has today announced a decrease in first quarter losses to £1.14m, on revenues of £1.38m. The Durham-based plc, which has undergone a restructuring to achieve annual cost savings of £1.5m, also reported strong levels of sales and new orders. The group, which supplies x-ray metrology tools to the semiconductor industry, said it had started the second quarter with an open order book of £2.5m.

Inflation slows to 2.8 per cent

The rate of inflation slowed down in April after energy bills were cut, figures have shown. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) - the official measure for inflation - increased by 2.8 per cent last month, below the 3.1 per cent level recorded in March. The Bank of England raised interest rates to a six-year high of 5.5 percent last week in an attempt to dampen inflationary pressures.

Hanson takeover

BUILDING materials firm Hanson has agreed to an £8bn takeover by Germany's largest cement maker HeidelbergCement. The cash offer of 1,100 pence per share would be the biggest takeover in the sector. The deal still requires shareholder approval.