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Higher liquidations show cashflow strain still grips many small businesses. February’s insolvency data pointed to another rise in creditors’ voluntary liquidations, reinforcing concerns that directors are shutting viable companies before financial pressure worsens.
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Bank Rate stayed put as markets weighed inflation and conflict. Property and business leaders said the hold offers short-term stability, though energy prices, borrowing costs, and wider geopolitical risk are still feeding caution into investment and household finances.
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Starling has launched its tax reporting tool before deadline changes. The bank is giving sole traders and landlords early access to HMRC-recognised software before quarterly digital reporting begins.
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Bureau Veritas acquires UK sustainability firms to enhance services. The acquisitions aim to bolster its sustainable building and infrastructure capabilities in the UK, aligning with its LEAP | 28 Strategy.
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Napier AI has launched a new AML investigation support capability. Insights AI is designed to give analysts clearer behavioural explanations inside transaction monitoring workflows after sandbox testing with the FCA.
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Quantum Print enters a new ownership chapter with bank backing. Continuance Capital’s acquisition, supported by Allica Bank, is designed to accelerate growth at the West Midlands packaging manufacturer while keeping jobs and production local.
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Frankfurt School has launched a new tracker for Europe’s transformation. The AI-led Compass is designed to map project-level private investment across energy, digital infrastructure, industrial capacity, and defence, giving policymakers, financiers, and corporates a clearer view of where capital is being deployed.
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SME funding roadshow expands with new finance ecosystem partners. Purbeck Personal Guarantee Insurance has joined the FUEL Roadshow, a UK-wide programme designed to connect SMEs with investors, lenders, and advisers as businesses navigate an increasingly complex funding environment.
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Scottish salmon producer shifts to employee ownership to secure succession. Marine Products (Scotland) has transferred ownership to an Employee Ownership Trust, placing the Glasgow-based salmon producer in the hands of its staff while ensuring continuity of leadership and long-term independence.
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Currency volatility is rising, forcing businesses to rethink FX risk. Thanim Islam, Head of FX Analysis at Equals Money, explains how structured hedging, scenario planning, and faster treasury decisions can help companies protect margins as sterling and global interest-rate paths diverge.