A challenging start to the year for UK automotive manufacturers continued into April, with the latest SMMT data out this week showing vehicle output at a 70-year low for the month. The performance is a reflection of an industry undergoing immense transformation amid strong global headwinds. For the car sector, weak demand in key markets and […]
Brickflow, the UK’s first digital platform for specialist property finance, has announced that Cynergy Bank will be joining its Lender panel for bridging, development and commercial products. As one of the UK’s leading challenger banks, Cynergy’s decision to join Brickflow signals a clear shift towards the continued digitisation of the sector. With borrowers and brokers […]
Asset-based lender Ultimate Finance is today announcing an increase to its maximum invoice finance facility size from £7m to £10m as it targets growth. The increase follows recent investment in pricing and an improved cashflow loan size, both of which have been well received. This latest enhancement in its working capital offering, will allow them […]
Derren Nathan, head of equity research, Hargreaves Lansdown: “When it comes to global trade right now the only certainty is uncertainty. Just a day after US courts halted the lion’s share of Trump’s recent tariff increases, judges have temporarily reinstated the new border taxes. Little wonder markets are struggling for direction. The Footsie is trying to lift its […]
Business confidence bounced back in May, rising by 11 points to 50%, according to the latest Lloyds Business Barometer. The increase in confidence more than offset April’s 10-point decline and marked the highest score in nine months, matching the level in August 2024. The increase was driven by a boost in economic optimism which rose 16 […]
The British Business Bank has made a commitment of £30m to Atempo Growth’s second fund, Atempo Growth II. The fund has held its first close with commitments exceeding €300m, bringing Atempo Growth’s total assets under management to over €700m. Founded in 2021 by Luca Colciago, Jack Diamond, and Matteo Avramov Giulivi, Atempo Growth is a growth […]
Employers urgently need to review their workforces’ pay for compliance with National Minimum Wage rules, as the government names and shames those who have underpaid workers. The rules are “uncompromising”, and even technical errors can result in penalties and reputational damage years later, warns Julie Moore, a partner and National Minimum Wage (NMW) expert at […]
Despite a complex global landscape, angel investors are planning to invest more in startups in 2025 than last year, with cautious optimism the prevailing mood. This is the key finding from the latest global survey of investors from Angel Investment Network (AIN), the world’s largest online angel investment network. An impressive 40% of respondents said they will […]
For months, UK businesses had been fearing the impact of April’s staffing cost rises. However, the latest ONS survey reveals transportation & storage sector companies kept their calm in the face of employer National Insurance and National Living Wage increases. Nor do they appear to have been ruffled by Trump’s new tariffs, says the international […]
Two new surveys published by HMRC this week indicate that valuable employment perks such as salary sacrifice pension schemes and Benefit in Kind arrangements could be in the chancellor’s crosshairs ahead of the Autumn Budget. The first survey, entitled Understanding the attitudes and behaviours of employers towards salary sacrifice for pensions, examined a number of hypothetical […]
