A roundup of important recent survey findings for executives

British businesses confident an upturn is on the way

A new Business Confidence Monitor produced by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) and Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank suggests British businesses are quietly confident about business prospects for the next 12 months.

A majority of respondents to the survey expect both turnover and profitability to improve over the course of the next year. Business confidence is greatest in Banking, Finance & Insurance, followed by IT and Communications.

>> For full details click here

Retailers expecting strong growth in sales

Despite the negative impact of the recent heatwave, the latest CBI survey shows Retailers' sales expectations for the year to September are the strongest they have been in 2003, with the expectation being that there will be an improvement in the business situation going forwards.

>> For full details click here

Official figures show UK economy continuing to grow

Latest GDP growth stats from the Office for National Statistics show the UK economy continues to grow despite the subdued climate following the end of the war in Iraq.

>> For full details click here