China’s downturn, the prospect of rising interest rates and uncertainty about the global economic outlook have knocked confidence among bosses of the UK’s biggest companies, according to a survey. Chief financial officers (CFOs) polled by the consultancy Deloitte reported a sharp rise in uncertainty facing their businesses and have scaled back their expectations for investment and hiring over the coming year. Almost three-quarters of the 122 CFOs, or 73%, said the level of financial and economic uncertainty was either above normal, high or very high. That was up from 55% in the second quarter of this year and is the ... (full story)