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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LHV Bank has appointed Damian Thompson as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director. He will join the Bank on 4th January 2027, subject to regulatory approval. Thompson has more than 30 years of experience across UK banking, structured finance and financial services. After almost 2 decades in senior roles at NatWest Markets, he joined Starling…
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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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Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered a new management era, with organisations shifting their focus from whether AI works to how it is governed, secured and managed at scale, according to KPMG’s latest Global AI Pulse survey. The quarterly global survey of C-suite and senior business leaders, including 100 in the UK, found that organisations are…
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Retailers face a £440 million increase in electricity costs this year, despite their energy use remaining virtually unchanged, a new report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reveals. The trade body has raised concern that this will feed directly into consumer prices, raising the cost of living for millions of families. The industry report, Counting…
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FTS Recovery has announced three appointments as it builds its London presence, adding experience in complex restructuring, corporate insolvency, and support for businesses in financial difficulty. Natalie Rose joins as Director alongside Restructuring Manager Michael Conway and Elena Lysandrou, who joins as a Recovery Executive. Rose brings almost 30 years’ experience in restructuring and insolvency,…
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A noodle bar franchise boss who kept running his business after being disqualified as a company director has been sentenced and handed a fresh 10-year ban. Desmond Pheby continued managing Wok & Go Franchise UK Limited, which sold franchises for the Wok & Go noodle takeaway chain, despite an earlier seven-year director disqualification for failing…
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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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