UK's Barratt flags up to 7% drop in 2025 homebuilding targets amid tough market
Shares down 3%; stock top pct loser on FTSE 100 index
Barratt sees FY25 homebuild target of 13,000-13,500 units
Co expects reduction in average outlets in FY25
Updates share move in paragraph 2, adds analyst comment in paragraph 8, adds chart on home completions
By Aby Jose Koilparambil
July 10 (Reuters) -Britain's Barratt Developments BDEV.L expects its homebuilding targets for fiscal 2025 to drop by up to 7% as elevated mortgage rates and broader economic concerns hold back a housing market recovery.
Shares in the FTSE 100 .FTSE housebuilder were down 3% at 475.80 pence at 0756 GMT, the top percentage loser on the blue-chip index.
The housing sector is betting on a dynamic shift in homebuilding policy under the new Labour government, mainly to tackle planning-related issues, as a delay in interest rate cuts has tempered hopes for a fast-paced recovery.
Barratt, one of the biggest homebuilders in the UK in terms of output and revenue, said it expects to build 13,000-13,500 homes in the year through June 2025, including 600 units from joint ventures. The group said it built 14,004 homes in the year ended June 30, at the upper end of its forecast range.
Britain's new finance minister Rachel Reeves on Monday pledged to tackle a chronic shortage of new homes, saying the government would restore mandatory housebuilding targets for local authorities, fund the hiring of more planning officers and accelerate development of large green energy projects.
Barratt said it expects to see a reduction in average outlets, or sites doing sales, in the current year, but was confident that the numbers would grow into 2026 fiscal year.
Forward sales - a key industry metric which gauges housing demand in the near term - stood at 7,239 homes, including joint ventures, as of June 30, down from 8,995 units a year earlier.
Aarin Chiekrie, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said in a note that further easing of mortgage rates would be necessary for activity to pick up significantly in the housing sector.
Barratt alsoforecast profit slightly above its expectations for the 2024 fiscal year.
Analysts on average expect adjusted profit before tax for the year ended June 30 at 357 million pounds ($456.8 million), according to LSEG data. That is an about 60% slump from 884.3 million pounds reported for the prior year.
Barratt's FTSE 100 .FTSE peers Taylor Wimpey TW.L and Persimmon PSN.L have warned of subdued market conditions this year, while Vistry on Tuesday forecast a 7% rise in half-year profit, thanks to strong demand for its affordable homes.
In February, Barratt agreed to buy smaller rival Redrow RDW.L in an all-stock deal valuing it at about 2.52 billion pounds.
($1 = 0.7815 pounds)
Barratt's delivery woes https://reut.rs/4cQJKKz
Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Bernadette Baum
免责声明: XM Group仅提供在线交易平台的执行服务和访问权限，并允许个人查看和/或使用网站或网站所提供的内容，但无意进行任何更改或扩展，也不会更改或扩展其服务和访问权限。所有访问和使用权限，将受下列条款与条例约束：(i) 条款与条例；(ii) 风险提示；以及(iii) 完整免责声明。请注意，网站所提供的所有讯息，仅限一般资讯用途。此外，XM所有在线交易平台的内容并不构成，也不能被用于任何未经授权的金融市场交易邀约和/或邀请。金融市场交易对于您的投资资本含有重大风险。
所有在线交易平台所发布的资料，仅适用于教育/资讯类用途，不包含也不应被视为用于金融、投资税或交易相关咨询和建议，或是交易价格纪录，或是任何金融商品或非应邀途径的金融相关优惠的交易邀约或邀请。
本网站上由XM和第三方供应商所提供的所有内容，包括意见、新闻、研究、分析、价格、其他资讯和第三方网站链接，皆保持不变，并作为一般市场评论所提供，而非投资性建议。所有在线交易平台所发布的资料，仅适用于教育/资讯类用途，不包含也不应被视为适用于金融、投资税或交易相关咨询和建议，或是交易价格纪录，或是任何金融商品或非应邀途径的金融相关优惠的交易邀约或邀请。请确保您已阅读并完全理解，XM非独立投资研究提示和风险提示相关资讯，更多详情请点击 这里。
