UK finance chiefs delay hiring and investment as Brexit tops risk list

Survey of CFOs shows 75% support staying in EU but many are postponing key financial decisions as jitters spread through British economy

Support for staying in the EU has risen among the finance bosses of big British firms, but they are also increasingly jittery as June's referendum approaches.

With opinion polls tight, a survey of chief financial officers (CFOs) indicates they are holding off hiring new staff and reluctant to spend on new equipment before the public vote. Risk appetite has fallen to a three-year low, according to the poll of 120 CFOs of FTSE 350 and other large private companies.

Related: Brexit jitters dent UK consumer confidence, study claims