British leaders are now the least optimistic cohort internationally, and it’s having a real-world impact on growth, writes David Stevens

Britain has long prided itself on being one of the world’s most dynamic financial centres, a place where capital moves, innovation scales and global businesses choose to grow. Yet beneath that historic confidence lies a more recent uncomfortable truth: the UK has become the most risk-averse investment market in the world.

New research by SIX surveying nearly 300 senior financial professionals across seven global markets reveals the extent of this shift. UK respondents stand out as the most risk-averse of all regions with almost half (47 per cent) citing investor reluctance to take risk as their biggest barrier to growth, compared with a global average of just 32 per cent. Simply put, lack of risk appetite is now one of the biggest obstacles to business growth in the UK.

This risk aversion shapes not just capital flows, but sentiment. While globally, 58 per cent of executives say market uncertainty presents an opportunity; in the UK, half say it represents a challenge. British leaders are now the least optimistic cohort internationally. Taken together,........

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