Geopolitical concerns dampen outlook for medium-sized Irish companies

Change in mood has swept through Irish mid-market firms’ view of their performance, with a 25% nosedive in predicted profitability, according to Grant Thornton 

The IBR also found international tariff disputes to be a likely factor in the changing mood of Irish medium-sized enterprises, with almost double the level of concern among these companies that geopolitical disruption would be a key constraint on their business.  (Piroschka Van De Wouw, Pool Photo via AP)

The level of optimism among Irish medium-sized firms has taken a sharp fall with an 18% contraction in the last three months, the latest Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) has found. 

The report, which provides insights into the attitudes of 10,000 mid-market businesses across 32 economies, revealed that while 63% of companies surveyed in Ireland are optimistic about the outlook for the economy over the next twelve months, this stands in sharp contrast to findings from the previous three months where 81% of businesses surveyed stated a higher level of confidence.