Persimmon cuts dividend as housing gross sales tumble

Persimmon lower its dividend and revealed it confronted a whole bunch of tens of millions of kilos in extra prices associated to constructing security, as greater mortgage prices trigger a steep drop in housing gross sales.

Shares fell 8 per cent on Tuesday morning after the FTSE 100 firm introduced that it was scrapping its dividend coverage in response to “elevated uncertainty” and better taxes.

Persimmon, one of many UK’s largest housebuilders, stated there have been clear indicators the housing market was slowing, revealing that the gross sales charge throughout its websites had fallen 20 per cent prior to now six weeks whereas the variety of consumers cancelling their house buy had jumped by a 3rd.

The typical worth of the corporate’s properties has fallen 2 per cent since July, whereas the £770mn worth of gross sales agreed for subsequent yr is down a 3rd on the £1.15bn it had agreed this time final yr.

“There’s a hell of loads of uncertainty on the market,” stated chief government Dean Finch. “Individuals have had mortgage provides withdrawn, not been capable of get mortgages, charges have gone up.”

Persimmon didn’t announce particulars of its new dividend coverage. Chris Millington, analyst at Numis, estimated that dividends may “virtually halve” because of greater than anticipated prices and a slowing market.

Persimmon additionally introduced a steep enhance in the amount of money put aside to cowl the restore of blocks caught up within the constructing security disaster sparked by the fireplace at Grenfell tower in 2017 during which 72 folks died.

Earlier this yr Persimmon stated “that the £75 million provision put aside for the rectification works stays applicable”. However on Tuesday, after prolonged negotiations with the housing secretary Michael Gove, the corporate raised its provision to £350mn.

Finch on Tuesday conceded that Persimmon had not adequately assessed its publicity to the disaster, as the corporate elevated the variety of buildings needing remedial work from 33 to 71.

“Why are there so many buildings on the market we weren’t conscious of? It’s a very good query,” he stated. “Data have been poor.”

Persimmon blamed the bounce in prices on “the broader scope required by authorities, which has resulted each in a rise within the quantity of labor required and within the variety of eligible buildings, and . . . a background of serious construct price inflation”.

Millington stated that whereas the rise was partly right down to a tightening of presidency guidelines, “to maneuver from £75mn to £350mn appears uncommon — it suggests the work finished earlier than was not rigorous sufficient”.

Gove, lately reappointed to the housing function by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has taken a combative method to the sector. Talking within the Home of Commons this week, he put builders on discover {that a} deteriorating economic system was no excuse for not making good on their “obligation” to repair faulty buildings.

“It can’t be the case that financial circumstances that have an effect on us all are being utilized by builders or anybody else to shuffle off their obligations,” he stated.