UK company profit warnings spike 50% in 2022

17.7% of firms

Profit warnings from UK-listed companies spiked by 50% last year, as surging inflation and falling consumer confidence ate into margins.

17.7% of the UK's 1,193 listed businesses issued a profit warning throughout 2022, equal to the proportion who did so during the 2008 global financial crisis, analysis by EY-Parthenon has revealed. According to EY-Parthenon's latest Profit Warnings report, consumer-facing sectors were particularly hard hit, with 36% of UK-listed companies in consumer sectors issuing a profit warning during the year, up from a fifth in the year before. Within consumer sectors, profit warnings came from 48% of FTSE retailers, 60% of FTSE personal care, drug and grocery stores companies and 30% of FTSE f...