Business News Round Up (01/05/2026)
Listed firms in North West issued lowest Q1 profit warnings total in five years – but spike since start of conflict in Middle East
UK-listed companies in the North West issued four profit warnings during the first quarter of 2026, down marginally from the five issued during the same period last year, and marking the region’s lowest Q1 total since 2021, according to EY-Parthenon’s latest Profit Warnings report. The region’s warnings came from a variety of sectors, highlighting that headwinds are affecting businesses across the North West’s economy. The North West saw the joint-lowest number of profit warnings from listed companies of all English regions during Q1, with four warnings also issued in the Northeast and Yorkshire respectively. However, there have been seven warnings from listed companies in the North West since 28 February, four of which have cited the conflict in the Middle East. Across the UK, 49% of the 55 profit warnings issued by listed companies in Q1 2026 cited the impact of policy change and geopolitical uncertainty as a leading factor.
Scotland business confidence falls as firms react to global uncertainty
Business confidence in Scotland fell three points during April to 48%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland. Companies in Scotland reported lower confidence in their own trading outlook month-on-month, down 10 points at 53%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, up four points to 43%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 48% (vs. 51% in March). However, despite the fall, Scotland’s confidence figure for April surpassed the UK’s combined total for the first time this year. Looking ahead to the next six months, Scotland businesses identified their top target areas for growth as investing in their team, for example through training (41%), entering new markets (40%), and introducing new technology, such as AI or automation (38%). The Business Barometer, which surveys 1,200 businesses monthly and which has been running since 2002, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.
‘Missed opportunities’: regional tech boom outpaces London but funding gap risks stalling growth
A new report from Manchester’s £1.7bn innovation district Sister has revealed that the UK’s fastest-growing innovation economies are increasingly located outside the Golden Triangle – but it warns a lack of support risks holding back national growth. While around 80% of venture capital continues to flow into London, Oxford and Cambridge, the Innovation Nation report finds regions including the North West and Scotland are among the fastest-growing centres for innovation. Cities such as Bristol (+65%), Edinburgh (+43%) and Manchester (+37%) have all seen significantly stronger growth in innovation employment since 2019, compared to just 1% across London. The findings reinforce the scale of regional momentum, with Manchester now home to more than 1,000 innovative businesses – the second highest concentration outside the capital. But despite that growth, the report warns the UK is failing to fully capitalise on its regional strengths, with investment, infrastructure and policy still heavily concentrated in the South.
Brodies report highlights investment progress and practical challenges in energy transition
A new report offers an in‑depth analysis of how investors, developers and advisers are navigating the next phase of the global shift toward net zero. Drawing on research conducted in collaboration with Infralogic, with 100 UK‑based senior executives, financial sponsors, developers and general counsel surveyed, the report, published by Brodies, explores investment trends across renewables, grids, battery storage and conventional energy in both domestic and international markets. It paints a picture of a sector that remains firmly committed to decarbonisation, while increasingly focused on delivery, resilience and system integration. The findings highlight sustained momentum in energy transition investment, alongside renewed confidence in the UK market following recent policy recalibration. At the same time, the report identifies ongoing constraints around grid capacity, planning complexity, supply‑chain pressure and geopolitical risk, all of which are shaping investment decisions.