04 Aug 2017

UK Region’s listed companies outperform national average

The north west’s listed companies have added £2.1bn to their total values in the second quarter of 2017. According to Deloitte, the five per cent growth saw the total value of the region’s listed businesses rise from £41.6bn in the first quarter to £43.7bn.

Statistics from the business advisory firm’s latest North West Share Index also reveal that the region has continued to outperform the capital, with the FTSE All Share rising by 3.9 per cent over the last three months.

This builds on the latest UK Powerhouse report, which showed that the economies of both Manchester and Leeds have grown faster than London since 2014.

This quarter has been particularly strong for the region’s smaller companies, with the value of those listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) jumping 20 per cent to £13.8bn. In particular, online fashion retailer boohoo.com witnessed significant growth in the three months to 30 June, having announced that revenues doubled to £120m in June this year.

SMEs are the driving force behind the North West economy, which has led to Manchester outperforming the capital both in GVA growth and on the public markets.

From the Baltic Triangle in Liverpool hosting some of the nation’s most ambitious tech companies, to the National Graphene Institute in Manchester being the home of advanced manufacturing, the North West has enormous potential to continue to grow in future.