A positive balance of 14 per cent of financial services companies expect volumes to grow in the first quarter ALAMYOptimism among the UK’s financial services companies has risen for the first time in almost three years. Sentiment in the sector, which accounts for about 7 per cent of the UK economy, improved at the end of last year, for the first time since March 2017, according to a survey carried out by the CBI and PwC, the accountancy group. A positive balance of 8 per cent of firms said they were more optimistic than three months ago. A balance of 14 per cent of businesses expect volumes to grow in the opening three months of 2020, the strongest result since 2018. However, a balance of 19 per cent warned of falling volumes in the final quarter of 2019, the worst since 2012.

Source: The Times January 13, 2020 00:00 UTC