Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Almost half of businesses (48%) are deferring capital expenditure until after the Spring Budget according to research by Bibby Financial Services (BFS). As the Spring Statement approaches, the UK’s small and medium sized businesses are eager for economic clarity before committing to major investment decisions. SMEs have strong ambitions for growth, with 87 percent planning…
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Small business confidence hit its lowest recorded point outside the Covid pandemic in the fourth quarter of last year, according to FSB’s Small Business Index (SBI). The headline confidence reading fell from -24.4 points in Q3 to -64.5 points in Q4.This is a fall of 40.1 points, and the lowest reading on this measure since…
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Business optimism in the UK reached a two-year low in January, according to analysis by BDO. The firm’s index measuring confidence across British manufacturing fell to 92.20 from 93.41 in December, marking the fourth consecutive month of decline and the lowest level since January 2023, a time marked by double-digit inflation and clear signs of…
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British businesses increased pessimism in January, marking five consecutive months of declining corporate confidence according to the Lloyds Bank Business Barometer.The Barometer fell by two points to 37%, its lowest level in a year, following a £25 billion tax increase announced in October. Despite the dip, confidence is still above the long-term average of 29%. In previous…
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Business confidence among finance chiefs has reached a two-year low with Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) expecting to make cost cutting measures in 2025 according to research by Deloitte. The data shows that business optimism fell to a two-year low in the fourth quarter with 26% of CFOs reporting that they feel more pessimistic about the…
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Business confidence in the UK has fell to its lowest level at the end of 2024, dropping two points to 39%, according to the latest Lloyds Business Barometer. Despite the fall, 55% of businesses expressed optimism about the broader economy, with nearly two-thirds anticipating stronger output. However, 19% of respondents plan to reduce their workforce,…
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New research from SME lender ThinCats shows significant confidence in growth but an even split for those believing the Government is creating the right environment. The research which was conducted after the Chancellor’s Budget among more than 2000 UK SMEs shows that 81% of businesses are confident that their business would grow next year. Confidence…
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UK business confidence has reached its lowest point in nearly two years, according to the latest Business Trends Report by BDO. The BDO optimism index fell by 5.81 points to 93.49 in November, marking the steepest month-on-month decline since 2021. Firms are grappling with rising costs, reduced customer confidence, and falling orders, leading to a…
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Economic uncertainty is on the rise for the UK’s 5.6 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) following the Autumn Budget, according to iwoca’s Q3 2024 SME Expert Index. The percentage of brokers reporting pessimism among their SME clients about the future has more than doubled, rising from 15% last quarter to 34%. Meanwhile, only one…
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The latest Lloyds Business Barometer found that confidence fell in November, with the index dipping three points to 41%. Considerably above the long-term average of 29%, the change followed a period of sustained positivity from businesses, as confidence reached the highest level reported since 2015 during May, July and August this year. The Business Barometer,…
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Business confidence in the UK has fallen to a four-month low, with Lloyds Bank’s Business Barometer seeing a three-point drop to 44% in October. It remains above the survey’s long-term average of 29%, an indication that confidence is still high from a historical standpoint, although the latest reading reaffirms a slight loss of optimism since…
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Business confidence fell for the first time in a year as tax fears hit a joint record high ahead of the Autumn Budget according to sentiment tracking by ICAEW. The ICAEW’s Business Confidence Monitor (BCM) dropped to 14.4 on the index in Q3, the first decline in 12 months and down on last quarter’s reading…
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Business confidence rose slightly in September as companies pinned their hopes on further interest rate cuts this year, despite a weakening labour market, stubborn inflation and uncertainty around the new Labour Government’s first Autumn Budget, according to the latest Business Trends report from business advisory and accountancy firm, BDO. The BDO Optimism Index rose to…
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