Susannah Streeter head of money and markets, Hargreaves Lansdown: “London’s blue-chip index is set for a subdued start to trading as investors assess falling confidence among UK businesses and oil prices come off recent highs. Sentiment towards European companies appear to be warming up a little following the Italian prime minister’s surprise meeting with President […]
During one of the quietest years on record, the London Stock Exchange was buoyed by the listing of Canal+ in the final quarter of 2024. The listing, which raised £2.6bn, is the largest debut on the London Stock Exchange since 2022. There were eight IPOs in Q4 2024 – three on the main market and […]
Specialist lender Shawbrook has announced new enhancements to its popular CapEx Term Loan product to offer greater flexibility and opportunity for growth in the SME lending market. Launched in November 2023, Shawbrook has approved more than 400 applications from businesses across a diverse range of sectors including healthcare, construction, haulage, security and property. In order […]
Responding to the latest ONS Retail Sales Index figures, which showed sales up 0.2% by value, and up 0.1% by volume, Kris Hamer, Director of Insight at the British Retail Consortium, said: “After a positive start to the Golden Quarter, November sales stagnated, with higher energy bills and low consumer sentiment impacting spending. Clothing suffered from […]
A new annual business tracker has revealed that SMEs in Scotland are feeling confident about their future, with almost three-quarters (74%) expressing confidence in their prospects in the next year. Business Baseline – which surveyed more than 610 SMEs, entrepreneurs and business owners across Scotland – also found that while over half of respondents (60%) […]
Payr, officially launches in the UK to offer a smarter, more flexible way for tenants to pay rent. Payr allows individuals and businesses to pay their rent using their existing credit cards, allowing renters to earn rewards, manage cashflow and settle international payments instantly. For the first time, Payr enables tenants to truly maximize their […]
The accountancy job market in the UK has seen notable changes, with an overall drop in the number of vacancies nationwide. A closer look reveals that 59% of roles are based outside London, but these regions have experienced a 9% decline in vacancies. Meanwhile, London has seen a 3% increase in demand for accountancy positions, […]
Tom Renwick, head of business banking, Atom bank:“2024 has undeniably been a challenging year, but there are reasons for optimism about the state of 2025 and beyond for the commercial real estate (CRE) market. The economy looks to be on sound footing, with inflation under control, the expectation of interest rate cuts to come and […]
New research from Intuit QuickBooks uncovers a potential surge in entrepreneurial activity across the UK, marking 2025 as a pivotal year for self-employment growth. The report, which surveys 3,000 adults in the UK, highlights a renewed entrepreneurial spirit, with over half (52%) of respondents considering launching a business in the next year. With self-employment numbers in decline since […]
Fraud is now so prevalent within business that it is endemic and the level of sophistication such that scammers are even impersonating the regulator! A survey of 200 professional credit managers who are on the front line of fighting fraud showed that more than four out of five (81%) say their organisations have experienced fraud […]
