Surveys point to steady growthBuyer confidence improvingConstruction sector expandingIn a further sign of returning confidence in the housing market, the latest survey from the Halifax ? part of Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) ? shows annual prices continuing to rise despite relatively subdued activity.The news wasn?t quite enough to support the shares of the leading developers such as Barratt Develop

Full year profit ahead of guidanceNew £100 million buybackTarget of £800 million operating profitShares in Vistry (VTY) jumped 5% to a new two-year high after the housebuilder delivered better than expected annual profit and provided an upbeat outlook, supported by a new £100 million share buyback.The shares have gained 30% so far in 2024 compared with a 0.4% rise for the mid-cap FTSE 250 inde

Leading housebuilder Persimmon (PSN) issued an upbeat full-year trading statement in January saying it had ?performed well in challenging market conditions, delivering completions ahead of expectations alongside enhanced quality metrics of our already five-star homes?.It described sales as being ?relatively robust throughout the year? while it kept a lid on costs but continued to invest in the bus

No-one could accuse the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) of sitting on its hands, least of all this year.As well as investigating several high-profile mergers ? including this month alone Aviva (AV.)/AIG Life, SpreadEx/Sporting Image, RedBird IMI/Telegraph Media Group, Pharmacy2U/Lloyds Direct and Hitachi/Thales ? the regulator has been busy looking into pricing in the funeral market (again

Revenues fall 20% Profits down over 40%Company cooperating with CMAShares in Taylor Wimpey (TW.) were down over 3% to 135p in morning trading as the UK housebuilder said pre-tax profit had fallen 42.8% to £473.8 million for the year to 31 December compared to £827.9 million in the same year ago period.The company?s share price performance today contrasts with a 10% gain over the past year.

The publication of full-year results by the big four UK high-street banks is imminent and there will inevitably be a good deal of scrutiny of their margins and provisions for bad loans.If last week?s update from Virgin Money UK (VMUK) is any guide, net interest margins should be fairly steady although that will depend on how keen the major players have been to expand their loan books.Virgin itself

Deal creates UK?s biggest housebuilderBarratt paying a 27% premium on paperBoth firms report improving sentimentThe housebuilding sector received a major confidence boost with the news Barratt Developments (BDEV) had agreed to acquire smaller rival Redrow (RDW) to create the UK?s largest quoted developer.Redrow shares jumped 13% to 678p, followed by Crest Nicholson (CRST), possibly the most-touted

Many people dream of retiring early to pursue their real passions before they get too old to enjoy them. Is it just a pipedream or could it be a reality for some people?This feature explores the pros, pitfalls and practicalities of the so-called FIRE movement which is gaining increasing traction. A recent AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast discussion on the subject provoked a strong response from lis

Prices are turning positive againLower mortgage rates helpingActivity seen picking up this yearHousebuilders and housing-related stocks got a lift going into the Bank of England?s monetary policy meeting thanks to a positive read on the property market from the latest Nationwide house price survey.Shares in Barratt Developments (BDEV), Crest Nicholson (CRST), Persimmon (PSN), Redrow (RDW), Rightmo

It has been a difficult year for investment trusts as a whole. Discounts have widened across various sectors and there have been a series of failed continuation votes and mergers. Yet some trusts have still done extremely well - relative both to the wider market and their peer group. In this article we shine a light on the biggest outperformers in some of the Association of Investment Companies' m

Stock prices in London sparkled at midday on Wednesday, as investors cheered UK inflation coming down faster than anticipated.The FTSE 100 index was up 44.63 points, 0.6%, at 7,682.66. The FTSE 250 was up 126.06 points, 0.7%, at 19,442.04, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.92 points, 0.4%, at 748.31.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.5% at 766.92, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.7% at 16,922.53, and the Cboe Small Co

Although its latest trading update in October did little to dispel the gloom surrounding the new housing sector, shares in the UK's leading developer Barratt Developments (BDEV) have rallied sharply in the last few weeks and are currently hitting new 12-month highs.While private reservations have tumbled and the firm issued a much lower build target for the full year, Barratt shares have been boos

Gains across the sector year-to-dateSome stocks trading at new highsEyes on Berkeley Group this weekEven though the most recent results from housebuilders such as Barratt Developments (BDEV) and Bellway (BWY) were resolutely downbeat, the firms? share prices have been on the charge since the middle of October as investors have bet on the Bank of England continuing to hold interest rates at their c

Persimmon raises completions targetPartnership deals pave the wayAverage house prices turning upA positive third-quarter trading update and evidence of a bounce in house prices helped lift shares in Persimmon (PSN) and other developers from their recent lows.Persimmon added 2.5% to £11.09 while rivals Barratt Developments (BDEV) and Taylor Wimpey (TW.) gained around 1.5% apiece. HIGHER FUL

Non-executive director of Everyman ups stake888 CEO snaps up nearly £950,000 sharesMichael Rosehill, non-executive director of premium cinema group Everyman (EMAN) has bought 2.5 million shares at 55p for a total value of £1.375 million on 20 October.Rosehill is also a director of Blue Coast Capital - a private equity group.Blue Coast Capital now owns 20,093, 639 shares in the premium cinema gro

No sign of activity picking upPrivate reservations fall furtherCompletions seen down around 20%The UK's leading housebuilder Barratt Developments (BDEV) echoed the downbeat sentiment expressed earlier this week by rival Bellway (BWY), describing the new-build market as 'uncertain' and lamenting the end of the government's Help To Buy initiative for first-time buyers.Barratt shares slid 2.8% to 412

No second-half recovery in sightFull-year forecast cut by a quarter PMI survey reveals gloomy sentimentSheffield-based insulation and building materials supplier SIG (SHI) is the latest company to warn that profits this year will miss expectations due to challenging conditions in the new-build residential sector.SIG shares, which had actually gained 16% this year, fell as much as 25% in early trad

Higher oil prices after recent production cuts from Saudi Arabia and Russia hit investor sentiment in London on Wednesday.Stocks closed lower fearing the effects that elevated oil prices would have on inflation and, in turn, the outlook for global interest rates.The FTSE 100 index closed down 11.79 points, or 0.2% at 7,426.14 on Wednesday. The FTSE 250 ended down 39.60 points, or 0.2%, at 18,451.8

Stock prices in London were lower at midday on Wednesday, amid gloomy annual results from Barratt Developments, poor data from the UK's struggling housebuilding sector and renewed concerns around interest rates.The FTSE 100 index was down 50.34 points, or 0.7%, at 7,387.59. The FTSE 250 was down 102.46 points, or 0.6%, at 18,388.96, and the AIM All-Share was down 2.55 points, or 0.3%, at 737.50.Th

Volumes and margins under pressureBuild-cost inflation outstrips price risesCompletions to fall around 20% this yearThe UK's largest housebuilder Barratt Developments (BDEV) posted a respectable set of full-year results and set out its stall for the coming 12 months while acknowledging that 'the backdrop will continue to be difficult'.The shares, which had gained 7% this year despite weak demand i