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Empowered Funds LLC decreased its holdings in NetScout Systems, Inc. ( NASDAQ:NTCT – Free Report ) by 82.3% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 41,140 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 191,473 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in NetScout Systems were worth $895,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in NetScout Systems during the second quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in NetScout Systems during the second quarter valued at approximately $60,000. KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in NetScout Systems by 52.4% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,100 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 1,066 shares in the last quarter. Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new position in NetScout Systems during the second quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC purchased a new position in NetScout Systems during the second quarter valued at approximately $73,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.64% of the company’s stock. Insider Activity In other news, COO Michael Szabados sold 6,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.32, for a total value of $138,580.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 42,489 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $905,865.48. This trade represents a 13.27 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link . Company insiders own 3.71% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes View Our Latest Report on NTCT NetScout Systems Trading Up 1.2 % NetScout Systems stock opened at $21.81 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.56 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.60 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.63. NetScout Systems, Inc. has a 1 year low of $17.10 and a 1 year high of $24.42. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $21.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $20.13. About NetScout Systems ( Free Report ) NetScout Systems, Inc provides service assurance and cybersecurity solutions for protect digital business services against disruptions in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company offers nGeniusONE management software that enables customers to predict, preempt, and resolve network and service delivery problems, as well as facilitate the optimization and capacity planning of their network infrastructures; and specialized platforms and analytic modules that enable its customers to analyze and troubleshoot traffic in radio access and Wi-Fi networks. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NTCT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for NetScout Systems, Inc. ( NASDAQ:NTCT – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for NetScout Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NetScout Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

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AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After their Open Loot marketplace platform utility token ($OL) announcement, Big Time Studios is thrilled to announce that the crypto industry's most popular and successful NFT video game of 2024, Big Time , will release its Player vs. Player (PvP) mode on December 2. After a Preseason Phase (closed beta) with record-breaking engagement and marketplace volume, players will be able to experience thrilling and competitive PvP battles and showcase their dominance in the Big Time universe. New Gameplay Trailer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXvjMRqmpa0 Big Time Overview " Big Time is a multiplayer action RPG for PC that combines fast-paced combat with the industry's most successful and proven open-game economy. Humanity teeters on the edge of extinction as the walls of spacetime crumble. Eras of history clash and dark forces surge through temporal rifts. At the universe's end, the player and their team are summoned for the greatest adventure in history. The fate of all time rests with them. Players can embark on a hero's quest to the farthest reaches of space and time. Dive into treacherous dungeons, craft and discover rare collectibles, and unlock mysterious boxes. Players must harness epic abilities, uncover hidden mysteries, and brave countless dangers. Face off against familiar foes and rival teams in the ultimate adventure to save humanity. Players can create and exchange game items, enjoying a seamless experience with unobtrusive web3 elements. Whether adventuring solo or with friends, they will battle monsters across various historical periods, gather digital collectibles and $BIGTIME tokens, and craft unique items. The adventure is limitless in Big Time." Early Access Success During its Early Access phase, Big Time achieved different milestones making it the most successful NFT game, outperforming all other 2024 released games: $443,386,952 in total marketplace volume 28,820 average $BIGTIME grant to players 60,342 unique purchasers 1,389,096 unique platform users 1,980,398 digital collectibles sold 310,681 players in Preseason PvP in Big Time PvP in Big Time features thrilling PvEvP events where teams spend $BIGTIME to enter a PvP portal, march towards a central objective, battle both enemies and other teams to claim victory, and the winning team takes the $BIGTIME winning prize. Matches last between 30-45 minutes, offering intense and strategic gameplay. How to Start a PvP Portal Locating and Entering a Portal: In the vibrant core of Epoch City, a towering hourglass awaits, ready to whisk players and teams to the Broken Clock Hall PvP lobby. Before diving into action, players and teams must register, select their match, and pay the entrance fee using $BIGTIME. Each portal offers different entrance fees and rewards, adding an extra layer of excitement to the adventure. Making a Team and Selecting a Class: Players can communicate with their team to decide each player's class. Upon entering, they'll receive a Pocket Watch and start at level 10. Players can strategically allocate their skills and stat points into special PvP Pocket Watches. Fighting Through the Sector: Embarking on an epic journey through the player's Tendril, conquering main objections to advancing to the central arena. Engaging in intense battles and capturing the central point to claim victory. The thrill of progress lies in overcoming each challenging encounter, knowing that the spoils only go to the winner. Guardians and Team Battles: Upon entering the central point, preparing for a showdown as the player faces off against their team's formidable guardian. But enemy teams are lurking, ready to steal the kill and claim the prize. Players engage in fierce battles, strategically using resurrection shrines and potions to stay in the fight and outgun, outman, and outlast their rivals. Holding the Center to Win: Unleashing various strategies to secure victory. Utilizing Pocket Watches to gain an edge, disrupting the opposing teams' progress, and dominating the center to claim the win and the prize. About Big Time Studios Big Time Studios , founded by Ari Meilich, has a mission to revolutionize the NFT gaming experience. Big Time Studios integrates high-quality games with blockchain technology, offering players better gaming experiences. The curated Open Loot platform gives developers the opportunity to reach a wider audience and drive engagement through unique in-game rewards and events, while players can benefit from exclusive access to high-quality games, special NFT sales, in-game perks, and airdrops. Big Time Studios' Open Loot platform has facilitated nearly half a billion dollars in total transaction volume, underscoring its commitment to creating a dynamic and engaging ecosystem for gamers worldwide. For more information, users visit Big Time Studios' website . Contact CMO Michael Migliero Big Time Studios press@bigtime.gg © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Texas A&M signed the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class three years ago believing it had built a potential national title contender. Plenty of players from that heralded 2022 class could indeed be participating in the first 12-team College Football Playoff this month. They just won’t be doing it for the Aggies, who no longer have nearly half their 2022 signees. The list of 2022 recruits now with playoff contenders elsewhere includes Mississippi defensive lineman Walter Nolen, Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart, Alabama defensive lineman LT Overton, SMU offensive tackle PJ Williams and injured Boise State receiver Chris Marshall. Texas A&M has done all right without them, going 8-4 as transfers filled about half the starting roles. Texas A&M represents perhaps the clearest example of how recruiting and roster construction have changed in the era of loosened transfer restrictions. Coaches must assemble high school classes without always knowing which of their own players are transferring and what players from other schools could be available through the portal. “It used to be you lost 20 seniors, you signed 20 incoming freshmen,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “You just had your numbers right. Now you might lose 20 seniors, but you might lose 20 underclassmen. You just don’t know.” Coaches emphasize that high school recruiting remains critical, but recent results suggest it isn’t as vital as before. The last two College Football Playoff runners-up – TCU in 2022 and Washington in 2023 – didn’t sign a single top-15 class in any of the four years leading up their postseason runs, according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports. This year’s contenders have shown there’s more than one way to build a championship-caliber roster. About half of No. 1 Oregon’s usual starters began their college careers elsewhere. No. 5 Georgia, which annually signs one of the nation’s top high school classes, has only a few transfers making major contributions. Colorado’s rise under Deion Sanders exemplifies how a team can win without elite high school recruiting. None of Colorado’s last four classes have ranked higher than 30th in the 247Sports Composite. Three ranked 47th or lower. “If anybody ever did the homework and the statistics of these young men – people have a class that they say is the No. 1 class in the nation – then five of those guys play, or four of those guys play, then the rest go through the spring and then they jump in the portal,” Sanders said. “Don’t give me the number of where you rank (in recruiting standings), because it’s like an NFL team," he added. "You always say who won the draft, then the team gets killed all year (and) you don’t say nothing else about it. Who won the draft last year in the NFL? Nobody cares right now, right?” Wisconsin's Christian Alliegro tries to stop Oregon's Evan Stewart, right, during the first half of a Nov. 16 game in Madison, Wis. Star quarterback Shedeur Sanders followed his father from Jackson State to Colorado in 2023, and Heisman Trophy front-runner Travis Hunter accompanied them. According to Colorado, this year’s Buffaloes team has 50 transfer newcomers, trailing only North Texas’ 54 among Bowl Subdivision programs. Relying on transfers comes with caveats. Consider Florida State's rise and fall. Florida State posted an unbeaten regular-season record last year with transfers playing leading roles. When those transfers departed and Florida State's portal additions this year didn't work out, the Seminoles went 2-10. “There has to be some type of balance between the transfer portal and high school recruiting,” said Andrew Ivins, the director of scouting for 247Sports. “I compare it to the NFL. The players from the transfer portal are your free agents and high school recruiting is your NFL draft picks.” A look at the composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports for the 2020-22 classes shows at least 40 of the top 100 prospects each of those years ended up leaving their original school. Coaches must decide which positions they’re better off building with high school prospects and which spots might be easier to fill through the portal. “The ones that have a ton of learning to do - tight end, quarterback, interior offensive line, inside linebacker, safety, where they are the communicators - they are the guys that are processing a lot of information,” Florida’s Billy Napier said. “Those are the ones in a perfect world you have around for a while. “It’s easier to play defensive line, edge, corner, receiver, running back, tackle, specialists. Those are a little bit more plug-and-play I’d say, in my opinion," Napier said. "Either way, it’s not necessarily about that. It’s just about we need a certain number at each spot, and we do the best we can to fill those roles.” Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, right, congratulates place kicker Cristiano Palazzo after he kicked an extra point during the second half of Friday's game against Oklahoma Stat in Boulder, Colo. Power Four programs aren’t the only ones facing a balancing act between recruiting high schools and mining the transfer portal. Group of Five schools encounter similar challenges. “We’re recruiting every position and bringing in a high school class,” Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton said. “That’s not going to be maybe 24 scholarship guys like it used to be. It might be more like 16. It’s not four d-linemen necessarily, right? It might be three. It might not be three receivers. It might be two. And it might not be five offensive linemen. It’s two to three.” The extra hurdle Group of Five schools face is the possibility their top performers might leave for a power-conference program with more lucrative name, image and likeness financial opportunities. They sometimes don’t know which players they’ll lose. “We know who they’re trying to steal,” Miami (Ohio) coach Chuck Martin quipped. “We just don’t know who they’re going to steal.” The obstacles facing coaches are only getting steeper as FBS teams prepare for a 105-man roster limit as part of the fallout from a pending $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement. While having 105 players on scholarship seems like an upgrade from the current 85-man scholarship limit, many rosters have about 125 players once walk-ons are included. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said last week his program would probably end up with about 30-50 players in the portal due to the new roster restrictions. All the added dimensions to roster construction in the college game have drawn parallels to the NFL, but Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck believes those comparisons are misleading. “When people talk about college football right now, they’re saying, ‘Oh, we have an NFL model,’ or it’s kind of moving toward the NFL,” Fleck said. “First of all, it’s nothing like the NFL. There’s a collective bargaining agreement (in the NFL). There’s a true salary cap for everybody. It’s designed for all 32 fan bases to win the Super Bowl maybe once every 32 years – and I know other people are winning that a lot more than others – but that’s how it’s designed. In college football, it’s not that way.” There does seem to be a bit more competitive balance than before. The emergence of TCU and Washington the last couple of postseasons indicates this new era of college football has produced more unpredictability. Yet it’s also created many more challenges as coaches try to figure out how to put together their rosters. “It’s difficult because we’re just kind of inventing it on the fly, right?” Diaz said. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, foreground right, dives toward the end zone to score past San Francisco 49ers defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (51) and linebacker Dee Winters during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green goes up for a dunk during the second half of an Emirates NBA cup basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) South Carolina guard Maddy McDaniel (1) drives to the basket against UCLA forward Janiah Barker (0) and center Lauren Betts (51) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Mari Fukada of Japan falls as she competes in the women's Snowboard Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) LSU punter Peyton Todd (38) kneels in prayer before an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. LSU won 37-17. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma misses a catch during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, left, is hit by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, center, as Eagles wide receiver Parris Campbell (80) looks on during a touchdown run by Barkley in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Los Angeles Kings left wing Warren Foegele, left, trips San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, center, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Olympiacos' Francisco Ortega, right, challenges for the ball with FCSB's David Miculescu during the Europa League league phase soccer match between FCSB and Olympiacos at the National Arena stadium, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Brazil's Botafogo soccer fans react during the Copa Libertadores title match against Atletico Mineiro in Argentina, during a watch party at Nilton Santos Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Seattle Kraken fans react after a goal by center Matty Beniers against the San Jose Sharks was disallowed due to goaltender interference during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Seattle. The Sharks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27), center, fight for the puck with Boston Bruins defensemen Parker Wotherspoon (29), left, and Brandon Carlo (25), right during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland competes in the women's Freeski Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Lara Gut-Behrami, of Switzerland, competes during a women's World Cup giant slalom skiing race, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Brazil's Amanda Gutierres, second right, is congratulated by teammate Yasmin, right, after scoring her team's first goal during a soccer international between Brazil and Australia in Brisbane, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher) Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) tries to leap over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Luiz Henrique of Brazil's Botafogo, right. is fouled by goalkeeper Everson of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro inside the penalty area during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Gold medalists Team Netherlands competes in the Team Sprint Women race of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Beijing 2024 held at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) reaches for an incomplete pass ahead of Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (2) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Jiyai Shin of Korea watches her shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Australian Open golf championship at the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin cools off during first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) England's Alessia Russo, left, and United States' Naomi Girma challenge for the ball during the International friendly women soccer match between England and United States at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Melanie Meillard, center, of Switzerland, competes during the second run in a women's World Cup slalom skiing race, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Get local news delivered to your inbox!AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Any Texas or Texas A&M player has heard the lore of the rivalry between the two schools, a grudge match that dates to 1894. But for more than a decade — two generations of college football players — that's all it has been: Ghostly memories of great games and great plays made by heroes of the distant past. That changes this week when one of college football's great rivalries is reborn. (10-1, 6-1) and No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2) meet Saturday night for the first time since 2011, with a berth in the Southeastern Conference . “Guys that have been in my position and bleed burnt orange, they have not gotten to play this game,” said Texas fourth-year junior safety Michael Taaffe, who grew up in Austin. “Remember them when you step on Kyle Field.” For Aggies fans, who have carried the misery of Texas' 27-25 win in 2011, getting the Longhorns back in front of a frenzied crowd in College Station is a chance for some serious payback. “I was born and raised an Aggie, so I’ve been dreaming about playing in this game my whole life,” Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III said. Zuhn played high school football in Colorado, but his parents and grandparents attended A&M. At SEC media days back in August, Zuhn said his family would turn Texas gear upside down in stores. He keeps a picture of a longhorn in his room, hanging upside down, of course. “It should be the most amazing atmosphere that I’ve ever experienced,” Zuhn said. "I can’t wait for that, and I feel bad for Texas having to play in that." Texas players said they are ready. “That place is going to be rocking,” Texas senior cornerback Jahdae Barron said. “It's good to go on the road and play in hostile environments.” The Longhorns have overcome big and loud road crowds before. They won at Alabama in 2023. They won at Michigan and Arkansas, another old rival, this year. The Longhorns have won 10 in a row on an opponent’s home field. “When the hate is on us, we love it. We enjoy it,” Taaffe said. But some former Texas players say the current group has faced nothing like what awaits them in College Station. Playing at Texas A&M is more than just noise and a lot of “Horns down” hand signals. The “Aggie War Hymn” fight song calls for Aggies to “Saw varsity’s horns off." Beating Texas is their passion, said former Longhorns All-American offensive lineman Dan Neil, who won at Texas A&M in in 1995. He calls that win one of the best of his career. “I was done showering and getting ready to leave, and their fans were still standing outside the locker room screaming and throwing things,” he said. “The (Texas) players have no idea what they are walking into. They have no clue. No one on that team has walked into that stadium in burnt orange.” The rivalry broke up when Texas A&M left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012. The Aggies have twice finished tied for second but have otherwise found little success there. Texas is in its first year in the SEC and has smashed its way to the top. Texas is the only SEC team with one loss this late in the season, which would make beating Texas that much sweeter for A&M. “The hype is definitely saying it's a rivalry. History says it's a rivalry, but for us, it's the football game we have this week,” Texas senior center Jake Majors said. “It's important for us to not let the environment, the game, get the best of us. ... I get to go out there and play not only for me and my team, but for the guys who came before me, so that's a true honor to have.” Even though the game hasn't been played since 2011, there has always been an element of the rivalry simmering under the surface, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said. Elko is in his first year as the Aggies' coach, but he was the Texas A&M defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher from 2018-2021. “Even though it hasn’t been played, it just doesn’t feel like it’s ever really left the fabric. I really don’t think it’s as removed from the psyche as maybe it feels,” Elko said. “I think our kids are very much aware of what this is all about.” Rieken reported from College Station, Texas. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . 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Scotland's Finance Secretary Shona Robison is under pressure to embark on wide-ranging reforms as she prepares to set out her draft Budget for next year. Spending watchdog Audit Scotland warns that the NHS is unsustainable in its present state, local authorities want more cash and autonomy, and unions say education is threatened by a lack of teachers. There are also calls for the SNP to replace the council tax with a new system and to restrict access to "freebies" such as state-funded university tuition. Robison said the Budget would focus on eradicating child poverty and "tackling the climate emergency" while improving public services and growing the economy. Her tax-and-spending bill will be scrutinised in the Scottish Parliament over the winter before a vote in February, when she will need support from outside the ranks of the SNP minority administration for it to become law. The UK government says an extra £3.4bn is available to Robison for this Budget , which covers 2025/26, as a result of decisions made by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her October Budget at Westminster. That's because the lion's share of Scottish government funding comes in the form of an annual lump sum from the Treasury known as the block grant, calculated using a formula designed in the 1970s by a Labour politician, Joel Barnett. But much of the increase has already been swallowed up by Scottish government decisions to raise salaries for public sector workers who, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute at Strathclyde University, are both more numerous per head and, "on average, paid more in Scotland," than those elsewhere in the UK. The institute's annual budget report says that despite the increases in funding, the settlement for 2025/26 "is still tricky" and the finance secretary "will have limited room for manoeuvre". Other pressures include the SNP's decision to fund a partial reversal of Reeves’ restriction of winter fuel payments for pensioners, and the impact of Labour’s decision to increase employers' national insurance contributions . There are also calls for Robison to spend some £220m replicating relief from business rates - a form of property tax - announced by the chancellor for retail, hospitality and leisure firms in England. "Given that there's no difference in the challenges being faced either side of the border, we think it's really incumbent on the Scottish government to pass on that 40% rates relief," says Stacey Dingwall, head of policy and external affairs for the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland. Ms Dingwall says the Scottish government also needs to keep its promise to reset relations with business after a net loss of 20,000 small Scottish firms in 2023. Scotland's total budget last year amounted to some £60bn. The UK government says the block grant for 2025/26 will be £47.7bn. Ms Robison must balance the books every year as the devolved administration has only limited powers to borrow money. The remainder of her budget is raised by taxes administered in Edinburgh, such as income tax, land and buildings transaction tax (formerly known as stamp duty), and business rates. Since devolution in 1999, the Scottish government has been responsible for a wide range of public services, including health, education, policing, justice and housing. Control of defence, foreign affairs, currency and immigration remains with the UK government. But, in the quarter of a century since the establishment of the modern Scottish Parliament, extra powers over welfare and taxation have been transferred from London to Edinburgh. That has seen devolved social security spending jump from £192m in 2018/19 to £5.1bn in 2023/24, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute. The sharpest divergence from Westminster welfare policy came through the introduction in 2021 of a weekly benefit for low income families, currently £26.70 per child, known as the Scottish Child Payment. "It is definitely making an impact," says Chris Birt, associate director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, who would like the budget to include more investment in social housing; better funding for social care and childcare; and council tax reform. "Most people don't give a monkey's if services are provided by UK government, Scottish government, health board, council, whatever, they just want that support to be there," says Mr Birt. "We definitely need to have a much more radical discussion about how we support people, not how we worry about our institutions." As well as divergence from Westminster on welfare, there has also been a shift on tax policy . At present anyone earning more than around £29,000 per year in Scotland pays more income tax than their compatriots in England. Those earning below that threshold pay slightly less, in a system which is now more complex than anywhere else in the UK. Ms Robison must also consider what to do with council tax after last year's shock decision by then First Minister Humza Yousaf to reintroduce a freeze of the levy. An extension of that freeze in this year's Budget would be, if anything, an even greater surprise, throwing Yousaf's successor, John Swinney, into a bitter battle with local authority leaders. It is therefore considered unlikely. Over their 17 years in power at Holyrood, the SNP have also maintained and expanded the provision of a wide range of state-funded benefits, including personal care for the elderly, university tuition, prescriptions, and bus travel for the youngest and oldest Scots. Some critics, including Alison Payne, research director with the think tank, Reform Scotland, say this is a poor use of a limited pot of cash. "Where budgets are tight and you have dwindling resources, you need to have a conversation about whether it is better to target what support you have to those who need it most," says Ms Payne. But it is the National Health Service which provides the biggest headache for Robison. Not only does it account for 40% of her Budget but it is under extraordinary pressure. The public spending watchdog, Audit Scotland, says the country's current healthcare delivery model is not sustainable , with a "worsening financial position" and "ongoing performance issues." Here too there is a call not just for increased funding, or tinkering with existing policy, but for fundamental reform, potentially up to the point of stopping some services. Ahead of the budget, Scottish Labour said "every institution in Scotland" had "been left weaker by SNP mismanagement and waste." The Scottish Conservatives accused the SNP of having "failed Scotland by making people pay more while getting less". Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, Alex Cole-Hamilton, said the SNP "would have to pull out all the stops" to persuade his party to support the budget. The Scottish Greens said they wanted to see "a progressive budget that invests in tackling the climate crisis and lifting children out of poverty". The Alba Party urged Swinney to reject any proposals from parties "that want to rip up the social contract that Alex Salmond delivered whilst in office". Taken together it is all a huge challenge for Robison and her boss, John Swinney, who has promised to guide Scotland out of "a long, dark winter" into the "warmth of spring".