Figures released from the UK Finance1 reveal that the balance of pure Invoice Finance has grown from £18.6 billion at the end of Q2 2017 to £18.9 billion at the end of Q3 2017.
This marks record lending levels from UK businesses amid sustained annual growth with the total balance of Invoice Finance rising from £16.5 billion as at the end of Q3 2016, a year-on-year increase of 14%, and £15.7 billion as at the end of Q3 2015.
The balance of invoice finance plus – which allows for advances against debt plus other assets – totalled £324 million at the end of Q3 2017, rising 33% from £243 million at the same point last year.
Further analysis from Equiniti shows the correlation between increase in GDP and the growth of Invoice Finance with SMEs gaining in, or losing, confidence from the country’s economic fluctuations.
Although GDP has remained in positive growth in each quarter since 20142, the quarters with relative declines have caused a knock-on effect for invoice borrowing.
This is clear in quarters such as Q1 2016 when GDP only grew by 0.16% and the balance of Invoice Finance consequently decreased by over 3% and Q4 2016 when 0.57% growth in GDP corresponded with a rise in Invoice Finance balance of 9.0%, the highest quarterly rise on record.
Aaron Hughes, Managing Director at Equiniti Riskfactor, commented; “Invoice Finance continues to be the preferred method of business lending for SMEs in the United Kingdom, outstripping overdraft lending to SMEs. It is regarded as the optimal way to fund business growth because lending is directly linked to, and secured on, their customer’s sales ledger and so its continued growth over the past few years is unsurprising.
“However, additional research and analysis from Equiniti demonstrates that the confidence of businesses to borrow is closely tied to the economic performance of the country. Comparing the growth in Invoice Finance with that of the country’s value is a clear indicator that small to medium businesses will continue to strive for growth as long as GDP continues on an upward curve.
“It also raises the worry that, should the UK suffer as a result of Brexit or any other macroeconomic downturn, SMEs will batten down the hatches, stop borrowing and run into difficulty as a result.”
ENDS
For more information:
Temple Bar Advisory:
William Barker / Sam Livingstone
Tel: 07827 960151 / 07769 655437
Email: williamb@templebaradvisory.com / saml@templebaradvisory.com
Notes to Editor:
Research
1 – Invoice Finance balance: https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/record-levels-of-invoice-finance-and-asset-based-lending-to-uk-businesses/
2 – UK GDP: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp
About Equiniti
Equiniti is a specialist outsourcer delivering technology-enabled solutions to some of the best-known brands and public-sector organisations in the UK, including c.70 of the companies in the FTSE 100. It is the UK’s leading provider of share registration and associated investor services, and also has market leading positions in administration of employee share plans, pension administration and software, and employee benefit schemes. Equiniti’s services, which are delivered by over 4,300 employees, benefit 28 million people in the UK and 120 countries around the world.