Plimsoll

Plimsoll's latest quarterly survey of the mood across the UK economy comes at a time of spring optimism and the hope that the dark days of the past 12-18 months are behind us.

A wall of money could flow into the UK economy as soon as there is clarity on where we are heading as a country. UK businesses have significantly increased the amount of cash they are retaining. If the government can provide some much-needed clarity on what happens next, that pent up cash hitting the economy could lead to a spike in investment and growth in UK PLC.

After the severity of the pandemic disruption, visitors are pouring back into the world’s leading theme parks. However, while 2021 saw something of a return to form, with attendance up 70% year on year, they still lag behind pre-pandemic numbers of guests. With the industry said to need a quarter of a billion people through the doors to maintain healthy margins, the 141 million people attending last year leaves much work to do.  

News of high street closures hit the headlines once more this week as online fashion retailer Boohoo Group announced their takeover of Coast and Karen Millen, bring both out of administration.

A string of profit warning from some of the world’s leading Airlines has seen big falls in share prices. Lufthansa plunged 11% on Monday morning after being the latest major Airline to issue a profit warning. 

The politically partisan debate following the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), has been fragmented into two main arguments. Some claim President Trump’s rolling back much of the Dodd-Frank regulation, enacted as part of the response to the 2008 financial crash, and the Volcker Rule may have led to a return of so-called ‘casino banking’. Others claim such regulations, while well-intentioned, have weakened not strengthened banks and financial institutions. Some outliers claim it has made little difference.

Dignity, the UK’s biggest and perhaps most embattled funeral business is starting life as a new private company. The deal, by a consortium of current investors led by former CEO Gary Channon, values the equity of the business at £280m.

Surging demand and increased building regulation scrutiny have led to soaring profits and business valuations across the fire protection market.

This year’s Valentine’s Day is set to be the most unusual in living memory. The meal for two, picked from a chronically overpriced set menu, in a packed restaurant is sadly restricted. The spa weekend away in a country hotel for the same price as a family week away on the Med are unavailable at present. With that mind, we sincerely send our love and hope to go back to being mercilessly fleeced again next year.  

Based on more than three decades of research and development, the Plimsoll Model provides a graphical measure of any company’s current, overall financial health, and the trend in that health over the preceding four years. Plimsoll produces over 1600 individual market studies and rates each company included as Strong, Good, Mediocre, Caution or Danger.