Asset finance grows by 1%

7th August 2025 Asset Finance | #asset finance

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) in June 2025 grew by 1% compared with the same month in 2024.  In the first half of 2025, new business was also 1% higher than in the same period in 2024. The…

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Asset finance new business holds steady

Latest figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) in May 2025 was at a similar level to the same month in 2024.  In the first five months of 2025, new business was 1% higher than in the same period in 2024.…

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SME loans for working capital fall by 24%

Latest data from Purbeck Insurance Services has found SME loans for working capital fell 24% in Quarter 1 (Q1) 2025.  The number of SMEs needing finance to keep their business on an even keel has not been this low since Q3 2024, based on Purbeck’s data. In contrast, refinancing deals grew dramatically year on year…

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North West businesses see spike in demand for SME funding

Online businesses in the North West are securing much larger advances than their southern counterparts, reflecting the region’s growing digital economy and the impact of regional investment in tech hubs. The median advance approved for online businesses in the North West of the country has now increased by 483% year-on-year, to an amount of £175,000…

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Asset finance fell by 7% in April

18th June 2025 Asset Finance | #asset finance

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell in April 2025 by 7% compared with the same month in 2024.  In the first four months of 2025, new business was 2% higher than in the same period in 2024. The…

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SME lending hit £4.6bn in Q1

Lending to small businesses by high street banks hit the highest level since 2022, a sixth consecutive quarterly rise in the opening three months of 2025. UK Finance data showed that lenders issued £4.6 billion worth of loans in Quarter 1 (Q1), with this a 14% year-on-year jump. This represents a 14 per cent increase…

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80% of SME owners are concerned about inflation and the cost of living

Nearly eight in ten (78%) of SMEs are worried about inflation and the cost of living, according to Shawbrook’s latest research amongst senior decision makers, an increase from 69% in 2024. SMEs are particularly concerned about the rising cost of running their business (76%), with three quarters (75%)  of decision makers listing economic uncertainty a…

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Percentage of small businesses that rely on finance hits eight year high

The percentage of small businesses that rely on finance or funding to invest in business growth has reached an eight-year high, and those most in need of it are the enterprises predicting significant expansion for the months ahead, according to new research by Novuna Business Finance. The nationwide poll of 1,242 small business owners revealed…

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Two in five finance brokers expect surge in demand for loans over £100,000

New research from iwoca has found that big-ticket loans are set to see increased interest from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as growth ambitions resurface. The research revealed that two in five (42%) brokers think loans above £100,000 will see the most growth in demand in the next twelve months. Currently, loans over £100,000 comprise…

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Asset finance grows by 11%

9th May 2025 Asset Finance | #asset finance

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew in March 2025 by 11% compared with the same month in 2024.  In Q1 2025, new business was 5% higher than in Q1 2024. The business new car finance sector reported new…

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Companies that borrow are sixteen-times more likely to achieve growth than face insolvency

New research by ThinCats has found that mid-sized companies that borrow are sixteen times more likely to achieve growth than face insolvency. The data found that companies that borrowed were more likely to achieve growth than non-borrowers, with the level of borrowing proportional to growth potential. Nearly 40% of mid-market SMEs have achieved revenue growth…

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Personal guarantee-backed business loans rise by 9%

Despite an uncertain economy, applications for personal guarantee-backed business loans rose by 9% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025.  This is according to the Q1 2025 Personal Guarantee Insurance (PGI) Monitor from Purbeck Personal Guarantee Insurance, the UK’s only provider of PGI to SMEs. The 9% rise suggests that the appetite for finance remains…

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Call for SME lending reboot

Research by Allica Bank has advised that the SME lending market needs a full reboot, with the UK having the lowest business investment rate in the G7. The report highlights how small businesses invest at only a third of the level of large corporate businesses, with a clear link between low levels of SME finance,…

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