More than five weeks have passed since Britain voted in the EU referendum. Over 33 million adults – 72.2% of the UK electorate – went to the ballots on 23 June in what departing Prime Minister David Cameron described as “a giant democratic exercise, perhaps the biggest in our history”. The announcement the next morning that Britain had voted in favour of leaving the European Union sparked a series of significant political events – including the resignation of Mr Cameron, the appointment of his replacement Theresa May, and a complete reshuffle of the Cabinet. Furthermore, the result of referendum has also caused turbulence in various financial markets, with the property market, FTSE and the value of the pound fluctuating notably.
This turbulence prompted a decline in investor confidence in the aftermath of the Brexit vote; according to Lloyds Bank, investor sentiment towards property dropped by 35.36 percentage points between June and July 2016, while sentiment in relation to UK shares and government bonds also fell sharply. By mid-July the Lloyds Bank Investor Sentiment Index had reached its lowest level since its launch in March 2013.
To examine if Brexit has had similar implications on investor sentiment towards SME investment as it has this traditional investment classes, IW Capital – with its sister company Crowdfinders – commissioned a timely new research report titled ‘Understanding Investor Sentiment in the Wake of Brexit’, the findings of which can be downloaded below.
Based on an independent, nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK adults and investors, the research reveals investor confidence towards SMEs as viable investment opportunities in the wake of Brexit. It also examines whether or not consumers understand the impact Brexit will have on financial markets as well as their personal finances.
The research results have already gained widespread attention from international, national and trade publications, demonstrating the appetite within the private sector and investor communities to understand how Brexit will affect them and their peers. Below is a selection of just a few of the titles to have featured our study:
- Forbes
- City A.M.
- EIS Magazine
- Global Banking & Finance
- Wealth & Finance International
- Crowdfund Insider
- SmallBusiness.co.uk
- Startups.co.uk
In-depth research reports such as ‘Understanding Investor Sentiment in the Wake of Brexit’ are vital in helping investors and SMEs navigate uncertain times. They also form a key strand of Access 42 – IW Capital’s exclusive community dedicated to the sophisticated investor. Access 42 will launch in August 2016, with its members receiving:
- Priority access to industry-leading reports and research on EIS and the future of business Britain
- Pre-emptive reviews of the latest IW Capital investment opportunities before they are made public
- Discounted VIP tickets to alternative finance conferences and investor networking events