Barratt sees profit above estimatesInvestors focus on outlook insteadNew Bellway offer for Crest NicholsonStock prices usually rise when a company raises its earnings guidance, but in the case of housebuilder Barratt Developments (BDEV) the market looked straight past the upgrade to focus on the outlook and didn't particularly like what it saw in terms of home completions.The shares fell 13p or 2.

While the shares prices of many housebuilders are still well below where they were pre-pandemic, so are their earnings which means although the sector may look cheap at first glance it could be a classic 'value trap' instead.In the case of Barratt Developments (BDEV), whose shares are still almost 50% below their March 2020 level and which has a trading update on 10 July, sales for the year to Jun

Prices rise to 12-month highAffordability still an issue Labour promising 1.5 million new homesShares in residential developers started the week on the front foot after the latest survey by building society Nationwide showed average house prices continuing to rise.Investors were also looking to Thursday's general election and the prospect of a Labour win with the party promising in its manifesto t

Legal & General selling CalaDeadline for bids next weekPrice seen around £1 billionIn a sign of growing confidence among housebuilders, it has been reported Persimmon (PSN) could bid for smaller rival Cala Group which has been earmarked for sale by owner Legal & General (LGEN).Shares in the York-based homebuilder cheapened 32p or 2% to £14.50 as investors prepared themselves for a potential capi

Stock prices in London closed lower on Wednesday, ahead of an announcement from Westminster calling a general election on July 4, and amid hotter-than-expected inflationary figures from the UK.The FTSE 100 index closed down 46.12 points, 0.6%, at 8,370.33. The FTSE 250 ended down 73.30 points, 0.4%, at 20,710.07, and the AIM All-Share closed down 3.22 points, 0.4%, at 803.87.The Cboe UK 100 ended

Average prices up by 1.3% for top-of-the-ladderMay typically strong month for price growthShares in UK housebuilders higher on newsThe average price of a property coming to the market for sale in May hit a new record of £375,131 up 0.8% or £2,807 in the month, according to data from online property portal Rightmove (RMV).The reason for the modest upwards price pressure was due to the spring sell

Aurora Investment Trust (ARR) 243pMarket cap: £185.3 millionInvestors seeking a value-oriented fund focused on avoiding permanent capital losses first and foremost, while offering exposure to the improving consumer outlook among other themes, should buy Aurora Investment Trust (ARR). Managed by long-term value investment firm Phoenix, the dividend-paying trust?s 10.2% discount to NAV (net asset v

Stocks prices in London were higher at midday on Tuesday, as local data added to the uplift provided by US markets on Monday.The FTSE 100 index was up 82.73 points, 1.0%, at 8,296.22. The FTSE 250 was up 225.42 points, 1.1%, at 20,389.96, and the AIM All-Share was 5.72 points, 0.7%, at 777.25.The Cboe UK 100 was up 1.0% at 828.39, the Cboe UK 250 was up 1.0% at 17,662.42, and the Cboe Small Compan

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