Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
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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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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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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The UK risks developing an AI adoption divide between businesses embedding AI across their operations and those still experimenting with the technology, according to new NatWest research. The study of 1,400 UK SMEs and mid-market businesses found that 44% currently use AI and a further 41% expect to adopt it within five years. However, only…
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Latest data from Enterprise Nation has shown that 42% of small firms have been paid late during the past 12 months, compared with a range of 24% to 34% through 2023 and 2024. Among businesses employing staff, the incidence of late payment has more than doubled since summer 2024. The report also cites Small Business…
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The IoD Directors’ Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leaders’ optimism about the UK economy’s prospects, rose to -49 in August, from -63 in July 2026. Conversely, business leaders became slightly less optimistic about the prospects for their own organisations, with confidence falling to -5, from -2 in July. Most of the survey’s underlying indicators…
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The latest Red Flag Alert research from BTG has revealed that the number of businesses in ‘critical’ financial distress in Q2 2026 stood at 53,756, following a year-on-year increase of 9.0% from Q2 2025. More than 53,000 UK businesses are now in critical financial distress, with a further 674,000 firms experiencing significant financial distress. The number of businesses in critical…
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CEOs are maintaining confidence in their companies’ growth prospects despite navigating an increasingly volatile business environment marked by geopolitical disruption, rising energy costs and more complex strategic decision-making, according to research by PwC. The survey of hundreds of CEOs across more than 50 countries finds overall confidence in revenue growth has remained unchanged over the…
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The number of UK businesses entering insolvency-related processes fell in the second quarter of 2026, but a decline in new company registrations suggests business confidence remains subdued, according to R3 analysis. R3’s latest Quarterly Business Health report, based on data from Creditsafe found there were 6,854 insolvency-related activities in Q2 2026, down 6% compared to…
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Reductions to business rates and National Insurance plus support with energy costs top concerns – as only 9% of small businesses looking to hire to support growth this summer As the UK welcomes a new Prime Minister and leadership team, 9 in 10 adults (90%) would like to see the Government do more to support…
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The percentage of small businesses predicting growth has fallen to 24% – its lowest level for 12-years, with significant downturns in the construction (15%), retail (21%) and hospitality (21%) sectors. Whilst small business growth forecasts rose modestly in the north west, they fell in every other region of England and Wales – with the position…
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UK businesses are under growing strain as supply chain costs surge, with nearly three-quarters (72%) of business leaders reporting increases in the past year – double the level seen over the previous two years (36%), according to RSM research, The data showed that almost a third of businesses said they recovered from price shocks within…
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Latest data from Allianz Trade showed that the Cash Collection Cycle (CCC) rose again in 2025 (67 days) and appears to have settled at a structurally high plateau, with the driver being inventories, with companies moving away from ‘just-in-time’ efficiency toward ‘just-in-case’ resilience. The UK maintained a 40-day cash collection cycle in 2025, shorter than…
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