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After just nine months, the number of profit warnings issued by UK quoted companies has reached a new, annual high with more expected due to continued uncertainty from COVID-19, Brexit and the easing of government support, according to the latest EY quarterly analysis of UK profit warnings.
The total number of profit warnings from UK businesses in 2020 at the end of Q3 was 524, setting a new record for the annual total. This figure replaces the 19-year-old record of 506 from 2001.
However, the Q3 profit warnings total (58) was both below average for the quarter (64) and 25 per cent lower than Q3 2019, when there were 77. The top FTSE sectors warning in Q3 2020 were: industrial support services (6), investment banking and brokerage (5), and construction and materials (5).
The third quarter is typically the quietest period for corporate reporting and in 2020 this was amplified by the significant fall in earnings expectations earlier in 2020, the increase in activity as COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed and as government initiatives kicked in.
Alan Hudson, turnaround and restructuring strategy leader at EY, UK & Ireland, said, “The reduction in UK profit warnings in Q3 is most likely a sign of the calm before the storm for UK Plc.
“The summer offered some respite for businesses to prepare for what is expected to be an exceptionally difficult Autumn and Winter. Many businesses have managed to navigate the day-to-day stresses of the current environment by adopting survival tactics.
"However, with government support measures winding down and the reality of Brexit just around the corner, merely going back to basics isn’t enough."
He opined that COVID-19 cannot be considered in isolation from other, broader market issues facing organisations.
"For example, the revolutionary, and persistent, impact of emerging technologies and changes to consumer behaviours and priorities," Mr Hudson said.
In the first three quarters of 2020 there were 449 profit warnings linked to COVID-19 with the sectors where social-distancing has reduced demand and capacity being most affected.
However, Q3 2020 data indicates operating costs are now of increasing concern, with 24 per cent of profit warnings citing rising overheads compared with 12 per cent last year.