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More than 28,000 corporate insolvencies in 2025 highlight strain on UK businesses

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More than 28,000 corporate insolvencies in 2025 highlight strain on UK businesses

UK businesses remained under intense financial pressure throughout 2025, with more than 28,000 insolvency-related activities recorded over the year, underlining the fragile state of the operating environment despite easing inflation.

New figures from R3, the trade association for restructuring and insolvency professionals, show there were 28,616 corporate insolvency activities in 2025. While this was slightly lower than the 29,366 cases recorded in 2024, the total remains well above pre-pandemic levels.

R3 said the data points to a prolonged period of stress for UK companies, particularly smaller and mid-sized firms with limited financial buffers.

Tom Russell, president of R3, said: “2025 was a year in which UK businesses struggled to regain their footing after several years of economic challenges. While inflation has eased, the cumulative impact of higher costs, tighter credit conditions and weak demand continues to place significant pressure on cashflow.”

The findings form part of R3’s Annual Business Health report, which analyses insolvency trends, start-up activity and sector performance across the UK using data from Creditsafe.

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Construction once again accounted for the highest number of insolvency activities, with 4,584 cases recorded in 2025. Although this represented a 6 per cent fall on the previous year, R3 said the sector remains highly exposed to rising material costs, payment delays, skills shortages and subdued investor confidence.

Wholesale and retail followed closely with 4,124 insolvencies, while accommodation and food services recorded 3,831 cases. R3 said these sectors continue to face intense margin pressure as households rein in discretionary spending and businesses struggle to ab sorb or pass on higher operating costs.

Manufacturing insolvencies also remained historically high, with 2,188 cases during the year. Energy prices, supply chain disruption and weaker export demand have all weighed heavily on manufacturers.

One of the sharpest increases was seen in water supply, waste management and remediation, where insolvency activity rose by 14 per cent to 172 cases in 2025, reflecting the growing impact of regulatory pressure and rising operating costs.

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Greater London recorded the highest number of insolvencies, with 5,684 cases, reflecting the concentration of businesses in the capital. Encouragingly, this represented an 11 per cent decrease on the previous year.

High insolvency levels were also reported in the North West (4,880 cases), East Anglia (3,812 cases) and the West Midlands (3,152 cases), regions with significant exposure to manufacturing, construction and retail.

The report also highlights a slowdown in new business formation, suggesting a more cautious entrepreneurial climate. Start-ups in Greater London fell by 3 per cent year on year to 259,092, while Yorkshire and Humberside, Northern Ireland and the East Midlands recorded the steepest declines.

However, Wales and Scotland bucked the trend with modest growth in start-up activity, alongside resilience in parts of England including the North West and North East.

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Russell, who is also a licensed insolvency practitioner and director at James Cowper Kreston, said the outlook for 2026 remains challenging.

“As we move into 2026, it’s evident that many businesses are operating with limited financial resilience amid tough market conditions,” he said. “Seeking professional advice at an early stage can make a critical difference, giving viable businesses the best chance of survival and recovery.”

R3 warned that without an improvement in demand and access to finance, insolvency levels are likely to remain elevated, even if headline economic indicators continue to stabilise.


Amy Ingham

Amy is a newly qualified journalist specialising in business journalism at Business Matters with responsibility for news content for what is now the UK’s largest print and online source of current business news.

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Finance expert says record debt is locking young Americans out of housing

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Finance expert says record debt is locking young Americans out of housing

Young Americans are increasingly finding themselves shut out of the housing market as rising debt levels and lingering affordability pressures reshape the path to homeownership.

“The Ramsey Show” host Dave Ramsey joined FOX Business’ Cheryl Casone on the FOX Business In Depth Special, “Hitting Home: Rebuilding the Dream,” to break down the financial realities facing first-time buyers and why many are falling behind.

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Ramsey pointed to a combination of record-high consumer debt and shifting economic conditions that have eroded buying power across younger generations.

“I’m afraid I have to tell you the truth… Corporate America has screwed you,” Ramsey said. 

“Car debt is at an all-time high… Student loan debt is at an all-time high… And, of course, credit card debt… is at a all-time high.”

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For sale sign in front of a house in Houston, Texas. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle / Getty Images)

MIAMI OVERTAKES LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK AS WORLD’S RISKIEST HOUSING MARKET FOR BUBBLE RISK

Those pressures, he explained, are leaving many without the financial flexibility to enter the housing market, as disposable income is increasingly consumed by monthly obligations.

“When you’re drowning in personal debt, you can’t afford to buy a freaking house,” Ramsey said.

Beyond debt, Ramsey also highlighted the post-pandemic housing surge as a key factor pushing first-time-buyer ages higher, noting that supply shortages and elevated prices continue to weigh on affordability.

MORTGAGE RATES JUMP TO HIGHEST LEVEL IN OVER 3 MONTHS

Despite the challenges, Ramsey pushed back on the idea that homeownership is out of reach, arguing that progress is still possible for those willing to aggressively tackle debt.

“Our message to Gen Z and to millennials… is: clear this debt, get rid of the stupidity, and chop up the cards and work your way through it… Once you do that, you can get there,” Ramsey said.

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Musk offers to pay TSA workers as DHS funding lapse hits airports

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Musk offers to pay TSA workers as DHS funding lapse hits airports

Elon Musk offered to cover the salaries of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel during the ongoing government funding standoff.

“I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country,” Musk said in an X post on Saturday morning. 

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Chief Technology Officer of X Elon Musk speaks onstage during the “Exploring the New Frontiers of Innovation: Mark Read in Conversation with Elon Musk” session at the Lumiere Theatre during the Cannes Lions International Festival Of Creativity 2024 — (Richard Bord/WireImage / Getty Images)

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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What Active REIT Managers Bought And Sold In Q4 2025

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What Active REIT Managers Bought And Sold In Q4 2025

This article was written by

Jussi Askola is the President of Leonberg Capital, a value-oriented investment boutique that consults hedge funds, family offices, and private equity firms on REIT investing. He has authored award-winning academic papers on REIT investing, has passed all three CFA exams, and has built relationships with many top REIT executives.

He is the leader of the investing group High Yield Landlord, where he shares his real-money REIT portfolio and transactions in real-time. Features of the group include: three portfolios (core, retirement, international), buy/sell alerts, and a chat room with direct access to Jussi and his team of analysts to ask questions. Learn more.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of CPT; CCI; INVH; REXR; FR; KIM; MAC; VICI; KRG; RYN; KRG; ARE either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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InvestingPro’s Fair Value warned AeroVironment was overvalued at $380

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InvestingPro’s Fair Value warned AeroVironment was overvalued at $380

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Vincorion Shares Gain on Market Debut as Investors Eye Rising Defense Demand

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Vincorion Shares Gain on Market Debut as Investors Eye Rising Defense Demand

Vincorion shares jumped on the group’s first day of trading as investors eye a business boost for Europe’s defense suppliers.

Shares in the German company, which supplies aviation and vehicle systems for the defense industry, traded at 19.59 euros in morning trading, up 15% from a listing price of 17 euros a share. The company had said it aimed to raise 345 million euros ($399.8 million) through the initial public offering at the listing price.

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Analysis-Three weeks in, Iran war escalates beyond Trump’s control

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Analysis-Three weeks in, Iran war escalates beyond Trump’s control


Analysis-Three weeks in, Iran war escalates beyond Trump’s control

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High Templar Tech Stock: AI Pivot With A Hefty Cash Balance (NYSE:HTT)

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High Templar Tech Stock: AI Pivot With A Hefty Cash Balance (NYSE:HTT)

This article was written by

Welcome to my author’s site. As an avid follower of SeekingAlpha, I take great interest in articles posted as the subject matter is often something that appeals to me. However, I will sometimes encounter an article that I might not agree with. My purpose is to present an alternative view to readers that they may want to take into account. I hope you find my articles interesting and informative.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of HTT either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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Abu Dhabi Investment Portfolio: 6 stocks surge up to 110% in FY26, 3 fresh Q3 picks

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The Economic Times

The equity portfolio of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), managed through its global funds, has recorded a 7% gain so far in FY26, rising from Rs 3,774 crore in March to Rs 3,910 crore as of March 20, 2026. As of the December 2025 quarter, the portfolio includes holdings in 26 publicly listed Indian companies.Despite this modest overall growth, performance has been uneven: six stocks have delivered strong gains in the 30–110% range, while the majority have posted negative returns. The top four laggards have declined between 30% and 47% during FY26 to date. Additionally, three new stocks were added in the December 2025 quarter: Strides Pharma, Indigo Paints, and Tenneco Clean Air. (Data Source: ACE Equity, Trendlyne)

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Alibaba: Shockingly Bad Q3, Yet Astoundingly Good Buy (Rating Upgrade)

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Alibaba: Shockingly Bad Q3, Yet Astoundingly Good Buy (Rating Upgrade)

Alibaba: Shockingly Bad Q3, Yet Astoundingly Good Buy (Rating Upgrade)

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Rupee on shaky ground, touches fresh low of 93.73

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Rupee on shaky ground, touches fresh low of 93.73
The Indian rupee plunged as much as 110 paise on Friday, recording its steepest single-day rout since late 2022, after oil surged amid an unrelenting barrage of attacks by either side on respective energy installations in West Asia. It slumped to a historic low of 93.73 amid a report that New Delhi paid a significant price premium for its Thursday oil supplies before the unit closed at 93.71/$.

The pace of decline was rather quick, seemingly compensating for the Thursday trading holiday in Mumbai, with traders saying that market estimates of the central bank’s short dollar positions and sustained sales of Indian equity assets by overseas investors further pressured the rupee, which has lost more than 2.5% since the start of the Iran war.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) sold dollars at multiple levels on Friday, but traders said its interventions were aimed only at moderating the pace of depreciation, not reversing the pronounced downward trend.

“If the current trends continue, the rupee could weaken toward 94/$ to 95/$ levels, but the outlook remains highly fluid,” said Lakshmi Iyer, Group President, Investments, Bajaj Finserv. “Up until now, we have already seen reasonable intervention from the central bank, but beyond a point, the currency has to reflect the market equilibrium.”

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The rupee had closed at 92.63/$ on Wednesday, LSEG data showed.


“With sustained FPI outflows and geopolitical uncertainty, the market is still searching for stability, and calling a firm range right now would be like throwing darts in the dark,” Iyer said.

One-Way Ticket

The rupee opened at 92.89/$ on Friday and consistently declined, crossing the 93/$ mark in the first hour of the day.
Traders said the RBI sold dollars at all key levels, 92.90/$, 93/$ and 93.50/$.

“There has been no positive news for the rupee since the war started, and though such a large fall wasn’t expected, it is understandable,” said Anil Bhansali, Head of Treasury at Finrex Treasury Advisors. “Importers are buying dollars to hedge their positions at almost all levels because they expect the currency to decline further, and at the same time, exporters have largely stopped hedging.”

Bhansali expects the rupee to trade in the range of 93.25/$ to 94.25/$ on Monday, as crude oil prices continue to stay above $100 a barrel.

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Crude Oil India Basket stood at $156 per barrel on March 19, Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) data showed, implying that India is paying a premium of $46 per barrel.

Brent crude prices are trading at $110 per barrel.

Reuters reported that Tehran attacked an oil refinery in Kuwait on Friday even as Tel Aviv vowed to avoid further attacks on Iran’s South Pars gasfield, a day after an Iranian retaliatory strike on Qatar caused damage that could cripple natural gas supplies for multiple years.

“Geopolitical tensions and their impact on crude prices will influence rupee levels. At the onset of the West Asia crisis, the rupee was expected to be between 93/$ to 94/$,” said Sameer Karyatt, MD and Head of Trading at DBS Bank. “But continuation in the conflict and upward pressure on crude oil prices are likely to guide the rupee towards the 94.50/$ to 95/$ range,” he said.

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Rising crude oil prices fuel inflationary pressures and widen India’s current account deficit by increasing the import bill. They also weigh on economic growth by raising input costs for businesses and reducing consumption demand.

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