Financial and Business News

22% of UK Traders Expect Poor Market Performance This Year Eyeing US and Asia Instead

Monday, 19/01/2026 | 11:01 GMT by Tareq Sikder
  • Autumn Budget and taxes weigh on UK investor sentiment, CMC survey finds.
  • 43% of respondents predict US as top 2026 market, followed by Far East 26%, Japan 11%.
Uk Investors, CMC Markets

A survey conducted by CMC Markets indicates that UK investors are cautious about the trading outlook for 2026. The results show a broadly pessimistic view of domestic markets and a preference for opportunities abroad.

The survey asked participants to rate the UK trading landscape on a scale from one, meaning overwhelmingly negative, to 10, meaning overwhelmingly positive. Respondents gave an average score of 4.3, reflecting slight pessimism about trading in the UK next year.

UK Trading Outlook Weak, Uncertainty Persists

Laurence Booth, Global Head of Markets at CMC Markets
Laurence Booth, Global Head of Markets at CMC Markets

Laurence Booth, Global Head of Markets at CMC Markets, said 2025 was “another challenging year for the UK trading landscape,” and investors “do not anticipate that things will change significantly in the year ahead.”

He added that following the November 2025 Autumn Budget, investors are “viewing the UK markets sceptically and turning their attention abroad,” which could affect economic growth.

Nearly a quarter of respondents, 22 percent, gave scores of one or two, signalling strong pessimism. Only 2 percent scored nine or 10. Almost half, 48 percent, gave middle-range scores of four, five, or six, suggesting uncertainty about the 2026 outlook.

Tax Pressures Weigh on UK Trading Sentiment

The survey also asked about expectations for global markets. More than two fifths of respondents, 43 percent, predicted the US would be the best-performing market in 2026. The Far East, excluding Japan, was next at 26 percent, followed by Japan at 11 percent.

Few investors expect strong performance from the UK or continental Europe. Only 3 percent named the UK as a top market, the same proportion as South America. Continental Europe was chosen by 10 percent of respondents.

Booth said tax measures are weighing on investor sentiment. “Higher rates of tax and a frozen income tax threshold” are “further dampen[ing] the mood towards trading in the UK,” he said, adding that this is shaping trading behaviour. He concluded that while there is hope for “better performance in 2026,” investors “require further convincing.”

A survey conducted by CMC Markets indicates that UK investors are cautious about the trading outlook for 2026. The results show a broadly pessimistic view of domestic markets and a preference for opportunities abroad.

The survey asked participants to rate the UK trading landscape on a scale from one, meaning overwhelmingly negative, to 10, meaning overwhelmingly positive. Respondents gave an average score of 4.3, reflecting slight pessimism about trading in the UK next year.

UK Trading Outlook Weak, Uncertainty Persists

Laurence Booth, Global Head of Markets at CMC Markets
Laurence Booth, Global Head of Markets at CMC Markets

Laurence Booth, Global Head of Markets at CMC Markets, said 2025 was “another challenging year for the UK trading landscape,” and investors “do not anticipate that things will change significantly in the year ahead.”

He added that following the November 2025 Autumn Budget, investors are “viewing the UK markets sceptically and turning their attention abroad,” which could affect economic growth.

Nearly a quarter of respondents, 22 percent, gave scores of one or two, signalling strong pessimism. Only 2 percent scored nine or 10. Almost half, 48 percent, gave middle-range scores of four, five, or six, suggesting uncertainty about the 2026 outlook.

Tax Pressures Weigh on UK Trading Sentiment

The survey also asked about expectations for global markets. More than two fifths of respondents, 43 percent, predicted the US would be the best-performing market in 2026. The Far East, excluding Japan, was next at 26 percent, followed by Japan at 11 percent.

Few investors expect strong performance from the UK or continental Europe. Only 3 percent named the UK as a top market, the same proportion as South America. Continental Europe was chosen by 10 percent of respondents.

Booth said tax measures are weighing on investor sentiment. “Higher rates of tax and a frozen income tax threshold” are “further dampen[ing] the mood towards trading in the UK,” he said, adding that this is shaping trading behaviour. He concluded that while there is hope for “better performance in 2026,” investors “require further convincing.”

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About the Author: Tareq Sikder
Tareq Sikder
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A Forex technical analyst and writer who has been engaged in financial writing for 12 years.

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