Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Business activity returned to growth for mid-market companies during the third quarter of 2026, according to NatWest’s Mid-market Growth Tracker, while the rate of output growth accelerated to its fastest level for 22 months in September. NatWest’s Tracker – which is based on the Purchasing Managers’ Index™ and surveys mid-market businesses operating in the manufacturing…
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Bibby Financial Services’ (BFS) latest SME Confidence Tracker reveals that small businesses’ greatest wish for Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey’s first Autumn Budget is to reduce the cost of doing business. SMEs’ wish-list for the Budget shows that reducing the cost burden is a number one priority. The data showed that a…
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UK-listed companies issued 65 profit warnings during the third quarter of 2026, up from 59 in Q2 and the highest quarterly total since Q4 2024 (71), according to EY-Parthenon’s latest Profit Warnings report. Rising costs were cited as a leading factor in more than a third (35%) of Q3 warnings – the highest proportion recorded…
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Chief Executives (CEOs) of the UK’s biggest businesses are feeling much more upbeat about the growth prospects for their businesses than in 2025, ranking joint third globally, according to KPMG’s 2026 Global CEO Outlook. The findings of the annual KPMG survey represent the views of 1,400 CEOs, including 150 from some of the largest businesses…
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The UK economy grew by 0.1 per cent in August, after economists previously forecasted that it would fall, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) The small increase follows 0.4 per cent growth in July and comes as Chancellor John Healey prepares to give his first Budget this month. In the three…
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SMEs are relying on premium finance and finance from insurers ahead of other forms of credit as they borrow more to ensure cover remains affordable, new research from Premium Credit. Nearly two out of three (64%) fund insurance policies with premium finance or finance from insurers, the study found. With respondents using multiple forms of…
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A new survey has revealed the scale and impact of cash flow pressure facing B2B SMEs across the UK and identified how these constraints are affecting their ability to invest and grow The Censuswide research surveyed 500 financial decision-makers at SMEs that provide goods and services to other businesses. It found that two in five…
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Applications by business owners for personal guarantee insurance (PGI) rose 62% year on year in the third quarter of 2026, according to new data from Purbeck Personal Guarantee Insurance. Applications were also 9% higher than in Q2, making Q3 2026 the second-busiest quarter recorded since 2021, behind only Q1 2026. The data is a measure…
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Nearly a quarter (26%) of small businesses say they are forecasting growth for the final three months of 2026, with 50% forecasting no change in trading outlook, and 23% of enterprises fearing they will either contract or struggle to survive the winter months, according to new research from Novuna Business Finance. These new findings, for…
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UK business confidence has suffered its most prolonged downturn since the global financial crisis, as recovery hopes for Q3 were toppled by a resurgence of geopolitical tensions, a survey of 1,000 business leaders by ICAEW has found. Sentiment during the quarter was on course to return to positive territory for the first time since Q4…
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Business lending growth is forecast to more than halve from 5.3% last year to 2.1% this year, then rise modestly to 2.8% in 2027, according to a new EY UK Bank Lending Outlook analysis. Higher costs and economic uncertainty weigh on investment demand. From 2027, stronger spending on AI and wider digital technology is expected…
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UK SMEs are facing growing cash flow pressure, with 40 per cent saying they have been forced to cut customer payment terms to protect their own finances, according to the latest SME Confidence Tracker by the UK’s largest independent invoice financier, Bibby Financial Services (BFS). With the Commercial Payments Bill yet to be passed, and…
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Business confidence fell 12 points to 41% in September, the lowest level since April 2025, according to the Lloyds Business Barometer. This decline follows August’s reading of 53%, the second highest recorded this year, and buoyant results since May. While confidence remained well above the survey’s long-term average of 30%, it was six points below…
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