SMALL COMPANIES REGAIN CONFIDENCE Small businesses are slowly regaining confidence in the economy, despite falling revenues and tightening recruitment, a survey shows. Optimism was measured at minus 8 points in the third quarter of the year, up from minus14.2 points in the second but still below the first-quarter reading of minus 2.8. It means that confidence among small companies has been negative territory for about 18 months.The quarterly report by the Federation of small businesses also showed that most do not predict growth over the next year, while one in eight expect to contract. The share of small firms planning to hire more staff in the fourth quarter has fallen back slightly, to about one in nine.

HOUSE PRICES FALL House prices fell for a sixth month in a row in September, but nevertheless held up better than expected. Average prices fell by 0.4% last month, according to Halifax, half the decline that economists had forecast. A separate house price index this week from Nationwide, the rival high street mortgage lender, also defied experts@ predictions. The average UK house price peaked at just over £292,000 in September last year, but now stands at £278,600, back at where prices were at the beginning of last year..

PAWNBROKER SHINES Ramsdens, the pawnbroker and jewellery retailer, expects full-year pre-tax profits to hit at least 10 million, up from £8.4 million in 2022. In a trading update for the year to September 30, Ramsdens said that it continues to benefit from the strength of its diversified business model.

COSTS THREATEN ZOMBIE FIRMS Tens of thousands of so- called "zombie" companies will fall prey to rising interest rates and inflation in the coming months according to the boss of Begbies Traynor. Ric Traynor, executive chairman of the insolvency specialist, predicted that highly indebted companies that have only managed to cling on thanks to cheap borrowing costs will fall over the next 18 months.