Friction Index Insights

Insights

Analysis, sector notes and validated findings drawn from FrictionIndex's weekly data — published as we see something worth saying.

Evidence & Validation08 July 2026
UK corporate insolvency activity set to fall in June, real-time data suggests —but stress remains concentrated in key sectors.

FrictionIndex, which tracks UK corporate insolvency filings in real time, publishes its assessment ahead of the Insolvency Service June 2026 statistics due on 17 July.

Sector Insight29 Jun 2026
Independent education's stress cycle has peaked. The data suggests its tail has not yet run its course.

A run of independent school closures has drawn headlines in recent weeks. FrictionIndex data points to a sector-wide stress episode that peaked in spring and is now unwinding — though one indicator suggests the closures are not yet finished.

Weekly Watch29 Jun 2026
The headlines said distress was rising. Our data already showed it easing.

Through the spring of 2026, mainstream coverage kept describing UK corporate distress as worsening. FrictionIndex had already been showing five straight weeks of cooling. This is what that gap looks like in practice.