Latest figures reveal a sharp increase in the number of profits warnings by North West listed businesses in the second quarter of 2026. Tony McDonough reports
UK-listed companies in the North West issued nine profit warnings during the second quarter of 2026, latest figures from the latest EY-Parthenon’s Profit Warnings report show.
This is triple the number issued during the same period last year (three) and marking the region’s highest second quarter total since 2020.
Almost half of North West Q2 warnings (four) came from businesses operating in the industrials FTSE super-sector. Other warnings came from a variety of sectors, highlighting that current headwinds are affecting businesses across the region’s economy.
The South East (19 profit warnings) and London (15) were the only regions to see more warnings issued than the North West during the second quarter.
Across the first half of 2026, listed companies in the North West issued 13 warnings – the highest H1 total since 2023 when there were 14.
Overall, UK-listed businesses issued 59 warnings during the second quarter, up slightly from 55 in the first quarter.
More than half (53%) of second quarter profit warnings referenced policy change and geopolitical uncertainty as a leading factor, the highest quarterly proportion recorded for this cause in more than 25 years of EY’s analysis.
Since the start of the conflict in the Middle East on February 28, two in five (40%) of the 80 UK profit warnings issued have cited its impact.
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Sam Woodward, EY-Parthenon UK&I financial restructuring partner in the North West, said: “The North West business community has shown encouraging resilience in recent times despite subdued economic growth, a volatile global economy and geopolitical disruption.
“However, with such a complex combination of persistent headwinds, challenges are inevitable for businesses across various sectors and regions, so the increase in warnings seen during the second quarter was not unexpected.”