Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
New data from the Institute of Directors shows that business confidence in the wider economy remained low in August. However, business views about their own organisations’ prospects recovered some ground in August. Inflation expectations have also improved, but cost pressures, particularly wage costs, remain a major concern. The monthly IoD Directors’ Economic Confidence Index, which…
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Confidence among British companies has risen to its highest level since before Russia invaded Ukraine, according to the Lloyds Bank Business Barometer. The survey shows that optimism has risen by 10 per cent to 41 per cent, the highest level since February 2022. The 10-point increase is the largest month on month rise since March…
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The latest Business Trends report from the accounting firm BDO reveals a fall in business confidence last month. Higher interest rates, weak global demand and a slowing UK economy all contributed to the first fall in hiring intentions in six months. BDO’s Employment Index fell for the first time in six months as businesses reduced…
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Business confidence fell by six points to 31%, driven largely by lower economic optimism, which fell to a five-month low. The confidence level in July remains above the long-term average of 28%, although it is below the average of 33% seen in the last three months and down from June’s 13-month high of 37%. Firms…
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New data from the Institute of Directors (IoD) shows the drop in business confidence that was picked up in June has been sustained into July. The monthly IoD Directors’ Economic Confidence Index, which is the most-timely indicator of UK business sentiment, fell from -6 in May to -31 in June, suggesting a significant deterioration in…
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Business confidence is at lower than the pre-pandemic average as concerns about high inflation, record wage pressures and rising interest rates bite according to reaearch by ICAEW. Sentiment tracked by ICAEW’s Business Confidence Monitor (BCM) – one of the largest and most comprehensive quarterly surveys of UK business activity – put confidence at 6.1 on…
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The UK Small Business Index (SBI) from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has shown that business confidence has fallen by 14.2 points in Q1 2023, down 11.4 points from Q1 2023. The decline reflects the downbeat economic conditions small businesses had to navigate over the quarter, with stickier-than-expected inflation, while two base rate hikes…
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The Institute of Directors (IoD) Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leader optimism in prospects for the UK economy, fell to -31 in June 2023, down from -6 in May, wiping out the improvements recorded since the beginning of the year. The reasons for the drop are greater concerns around inflation and, separately, falling customer…
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Business confidence bounced back in the first half of June, increasing by nine points to 37%, the biggest monthly rise since March 2023 according to Lloyds Bank. The increase was driven largely by rises in firms view of their trading prospects and optimism in the wider economy, despite last month’s interest rate rise. Business confidence…
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Sentiment among British businesses declined in May, with firms concerned over the economy and their trading prospects. Lloyds Bank’s Business Barometer fell to 28% in May from 33% in April, marking the first decline in three months, while optimism over the economy fell by six points to 22%. Confidence levels remain in line with the…
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Research by iwoca has found that recession fears are receding with small business loan application figures rising. The company says there are signs of confidence returning to the UK’s 5.5m small and medium-sized businesses and the lending market they rely on. The new research, carried out with over one hundred SME finance brokers who collectively…
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A survey by the Institute of Directors (IoD) has revealed an increase in business confidence in April, rising from -13 in March and a low of -64 in November to -5 last month. This is the fifth consecutive month in which the index value has improved, following a low of -64 in November 2022. The value…
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Latest data from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has found that business confidence has recovered strongly in the first quarter of 2023, with FSB’s Small Business Index (SBI) headline confidence measure bouncing back significantly from the depths of lockdown-equivalent levels back up to lightly negative territory at -2.8 points. This is a significant upturn…
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