The IoD Directors’ Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leader optimism in prospects for the UK economy, jumped to -48 in January 2026, from -66 in December 2025. Business leader confidence in their own organisations also jumped, to +14 in January from -4 in December. The underlying indicators, particularly revenue and export expectations, also saw…
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Business confidence weakened this month over concerns about the global economic outlook, according to the latest Lloyds’ business barometer. The survey reported a net balance of 44% in January, down from 47 per cent in December, driven by a 14-point drop in businesses’ net economic optimism. However, businesses’ expectations for their own activity rose by…
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Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has announced that it has strengthened its Development Finance team with the appointment of Jake Sweeney as Lending Director, alongside a series of senior promotions as it continues to invest in experienced decision-making across its development finance proposition. Sweeney joined the bank in January 2026, moving from Goldentree Financial Services PLC,…
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Trade credit insurer Atradius has issued a red flag to the motor industry as new data reveals a sharp rise in claims for unpaid and late invoices. Failed and late payment claims against automotive businesses, including OEMs, original equipment manufacturers, component manufacturers and dealerships, have risen 78% year-on-year (Nov 2025). Claims across the wider transport sector,…
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A Covid fraudster has been sentenced after illegally obtaining a second Bounce Back Loan for his company when businesses were only entitled to one. Jobanputra applied for two £50,000 Bounce Back Loans for his printing business, Genesis Web Limited, within a five-day period in the summer of 2020. The 41-year-old fraudulently declared on the second…
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Millions of leaseholders across England and Wales are set to benefit from a major shake-up of the outdated leasehold system – with ground rents set to be capped at £250 a year, changing to a peppercorn cap after 40 years. Ground rents were abolished for most new residential leasehold properties in England and Wales in…
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Pubs and music venues in England will be given a 15% discount on their business rates bills from April and will not see increases for two years. It comes after a backlash against November’s Budget, which left many facing major increases in their business rates bills, and led to more than a thousand pubs banning…
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Confidence in the future of the UK economy remains mixed among commercial finance brokers, according to new research from SME funding provider Asset Advantage. The survey of commercial brokers across the UK found that nearly half (49%) remain neutral on the outlook of the economy in the next 12 months. Meanwhile, more than a quarter…
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More than two in five (42%) profit warnings issued by UK-listed companies in 2025 cited policy change and geopolitical uncertainty as leading factors, according to EY-Parthenon’s latest Profit Warnings report. This marked a significant increase from 12% during 2024, and the highest annual proportion recorded for this cause in more than 25 years of EY’s…
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Research by Capital on Tap has compared average wages across major UK cities to track how the cost of everyday goods and services changes over time. The analysis shows where real earnings are falling furthest behind and which regions are under the greatest financial strain. The data showed that Reading tops the list of where…
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A Yorkshire waste operator has been sentenced after illegally acting as a company director while bankrupt. Jonathan Waldron was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years, when he appeared at York Crown Court on Wednesday 21 January. Waldron was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £1,000.…
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More than one in five SMEs say international trade tariff disputes remain the biggest challenge facing their business, according to new research from FTSE 250 lender Paragon Bank. Nearly a year since Donald Trump set out a range of global tariffs and as geopolitical tensions continue over Greenland, the study of 1,000 small and medium-sized…
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The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data has shown that Inflation rose to 3.4 per cent in December, slightly above forecasts, ending a five-month cooling trend. The rise was driven mainly by tobacco duty timing and volatile air fares. Core inflation held steady at 3.2 percent, while services inflation rose modestly to 4.5 percent, below…
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