A record proportion of UK-listed companies blamed policy change and geopolitical uncertainty for profit warnings in the third quarter, as shifting trade tariffs, taxes and regulations put further strain on businesses.
In the three months to September, 47 per cent of the 64 companies that issued warnings cited policy change and geopolitical uncertainty as a leading factor. This was up sharply from 17 per cent a year earlier and the highest since records began more than 25 years ago, according to EY-Parthenon.
Nineteen per cent of companies also pointed to weaker consumer confidence, the highest share since the final quarter of 2022, when soaring energy costs and the cost of living crisis weighed on household budgets, the analysis showed.