THE DAILY BRIEFING

■ JUMPING JUNIPER Rocketing demand for artisan spirits has boosted independent craft gin and vodka. Sales of specialist versions have more than doubled in five years. Turnover has hit £350m, up 123pc from £157m in 2012, Funding options says.

■ CAPITAL CRAFT online craft marketplace etsy is expanding its London office, basing most of its international operations in the UK to streamline its global business. Around 150,000 British sellers were based on the platform at the end of 2016.

■ BOOST ECONOMY Some 58pc of firms want Chancellor Philip Hammond to invest in physical and digital infrastructure to strengthen the economy as it steers its way through Brexit negotiations, a poll by accountants BDo LLP reveals.

■ XMAS CAUTION Christmas spending is likely to fall 0.1pc this year as lower wages and tepid growth hit consumer confidence. Spending in November and December is set to slump, Visa’s consumer spending index shows, while online buying is expected to dominate sales.

■ DIVIDENDS UP Global dividends grew at their fastest rate in more than three years thanks to generous special dividends, according to the Janus Henderson Global Dividend Index. More than £248bn was paid out in the third quarter, up 14.5pc.

■ ROLL CALL Loo roll maker Accrol wants £18m from investors to tackle a cash crisis. It suspended shares last month after warning that earnings would be lower than forecast.