Geopolitical uncertainty dulls business confidence, says survey 

Only one-in-five medium-sized firms expect the third quarter of 2025 to bring a boost in business

Linked Finance CEO Niall O’Grady said that it was understandable that some businesses are adopting a cautious mode 'in uncertain times'.

Almost a quarter of medium-sized businesses reported their activity was down compared to the same period last year, a new business confidence survey said.

The survey carried out for lender Linked Finance found that business optimism amongst all Irish-based SMEs surveyed was 67% six months ago, but that has now dropped to 61%. One-in-three SMEs reported that that business results were lower year-on-year, an increase of 2% on the same period last year.