The Aporia · UK profit warnings jump to highest since 2024 ahead of Budget

UK profit warnings jump to highest since 2024 ahead of Budget

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Saker-Clark, H. (2026, October 18). UK profit warnings jump to highest since 2024 ahead of Budget. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/research-budget-businesses-b1301383.html

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Quick Summary

EY’s latest report shows that 65 UK-listed companies issued profit warnings in the quarter ending September, marking the highest number since the final quarter of 2024 when 71 warnings were recorded. The primary reasons for these warnings include policy changes and geopolitical uncertainty, particularly concerning the Middle East conflict, along with rising costs due to inflationary pressures. The report highlights challenges faced by businesses ahead of the autumn Budget, as industry calls for avoiding further tax increases amidst existing cost pressures.

Written by AI on 2026-10-18, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

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Story summary

As of October 18, 2026, profit warnings from UK-listed firms reached their highest level since late 2024, with 65 companies issuing warnings in the third quarter. This marks an increase from 59 in the previous quarter and is attributed primarily to policy change and geopolitical uncertainty, particularly the conflict in the Middle East which affected 38% of these warnings. Rising costs also played a significant role for 35% of firms citing inflationary pressures and higher business expenses. The upcoming budget from Chancellor John Healey adds further uncertainty, as businesses fear additional financial burdens such as tax hikes and national insurance raids implemented by his predecessor Rachel Reeves.

Written for “Profit Warnings Surge In UK” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.

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Henry Saker-Clark

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 92 articles by Henry Saker-Clark →

Claims (11 extracted, 1 hedged)

Profit warnings by UK-listed firms jumped to their highest level for almost two years in the latest quarter, according to new data. uncertain

warnings → list → data

EY’s latest profit warning report showed that 65 UK-listed companies warned over profits in the three months to the end of September. asserted

companies → show → September

It represents an increase from 59 in the previous quarter and marks the highest reading since the final quarter of 2024, when 71 warnings were issued by firms. asserted

warnings → represent → firms

The research found that policy change and geopolitical uncertainty was the leading cause of profit warnings in the third quarter, being linked to 54% of warnings. asserted

change → find → warnings

Meanwhile, 38% of warnings specifically referenced the impact of the conflict in the Middle East. asserted

% → reference → East

More than a third of warnings, 35%, cited rising costs as a leading factor, pointing towards inflationary pressures and higher business costs weighing on firms. asserted

third → cite → firms

Almost a fifth of list companies, 17%, have issued at least one profit warning over the past 12 months. asserted

fifth → issue → months

Jo Robinson, EY-Parthenon partner and UK&I financial restructuring leader, said: “The latest figures show the variety of structural changes and challenges that companies are currently navigating. “This is not a conventional economic cycle. asserted

This → say → that

“For much of the post-war period, the economy followed a familiar demand-led boom-and-bust pattern but, since the pandemic, supply-side disruption including material and labour shortages, energy shocks, tariffs and wider geopolitical disruption has become far more significant.” asserted

disruption → follow → shortages

The data comes less than two weeks ahead of the autumn Budget, amid calls from industry for the Government to avoid business tax increases following cost pressures linked to recent budgets. asserted

Government → come → budgets

Read More Ms Robinson said: “With the autumn Budget around the corner, profit warnings linked to policy change and uncertainty – once concentrated around fiscal events or elections – have become a regular feature of our data. asserted

warnings → read → data

UK profit warnings jump to highest since 2024 ahead of Budget

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Claims (11 extracted, 1 hedged)