Business confidence sinks as firms weigh twin impact of US tariffs and tax rises

Business Confidence Dips to Lowest Level Since Mini-Budget as Majority of Firms Blame Reeves' Tax Raid

It's more grim recess reading for Reeves as business confidence crashes to its lowest level (-3) since the infamous mini-budget era, according to a survey

Business confidence sinks as firms weigh twin impact of US tariffs and tax rises

A poll of UK bosses indicated that sentiment is at its lowest point since late 2022, when inflation was surging to historically high levels.

British CFOs Turned Risk-Averse Even Before US Tariffs

British companies’ finance chiefs had adopted their most defensive positions since the pandemic even before US President Donald Trump’s tariffs sent global markets into a tailspin.

Welsh Small Businesses' Growth Outlook Falls to Lower Level Than the Covid Lockdown Era

The percentage of Welsh small businesses predicting growth has hit a record low of 13% – trailing all other UK regions and the national average of 29%. The current figure for Wales is also lower than the levels of growth outlook registered in Wales through the Covid lockdowns of 2021, according to new research from Novuna Business Finance. The current position stands in stark contrast to the second half of 2024, when the ‘election bounce’ of a n…

For the first time in two years, the optimism of the global average market has diminished, revealing growing concern about trade tensions and economic uncertainty. According to Grant Thornton’s most recent International Business Report (IBR), only 73% of business leaders maintain a positive outlook for the next 12 months, a figure that represents a decrease of three percentage points compared to the closing of 2024. How does economic optimism va…

UK business confidence falls as tax hikes and US tariffs bite - East Midlands Business Link

UK business confidence dropped sharply in the first quarter of the year, driven by rising tax burdens and growing concern over new US tariffs, according to new data from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). The ICAEW Business Confidence Monitor recorded a reading of -3, the weakest level since the final […]