- British business confidence ticked downwards in November to a five-month low but remained healthy overall, with companies still feeling upbeat about their trading prospects, a survey from Lloyds Banking Group (LON:
The barometer chimed with other business surveys that point to fairly stubborn price pressures and a slowdown in activity - though the degree of the downturn varies and the Lloyds survey points to much less weakness than in the S&P Global purchasing manager indexes. Manufacturers, services and construction firms grew more optimistic about their trading prospects, Lloyds Bank said, but retailers became gloomier - echoing a downbeat Confederation of British Industry survey.