UK business confidence steady at six-month high, hints at economic uptick

British business confidence held steady this month, matching February’s six-month high and adding to tentative signs of an uptick in the economy in early 2025, a survey showed this week.

The Lloyds Bank Business Barometer stayed at 49 per cent in March, with a particular strong showing for retailers – chiming with official data last week that showed an unexpected surge in retail sales volumes in February.

The survey follows