UK's Persimmon upbeat on 2024 housebuilding targets amid sector rebound hopes
Targets to build around 10,500 homes in FY24
Half-year pre-tax profit falls to 146.3 mln pounds
Adds share move in paragraph 6, analysts' comments in paragraph 7
Aug 8 (Reuters) -Britain's Persimmon PSN.L expects to build at the top end of its annual housebuilding target in 2024 as easing mortgage rates and a UK rate cut spur recovery hopes in the sector, it said on Thursday after posting a 3% drop in interim pre-tax profit.
The positive tone of the housebuilder chimes with policy set out by Britain's new Labour government, which wants to tackle the country's housing crisis by easing planning restrictions and boosting land supply.
That and the first UK rate cut in more than four years have fostered optimism in country's housebuilding sector where demand has remained subdued for more than a year.
Many of the top UK mortgage lenders lowered rates in February and July in anticipation of the long-awaited rate cut decision, although the delay in the monetary policy loosening averted continual reduction in home loan rates through the year.
"Consumer confidence continues to improve leading to a strong pick-up in enquiries and visitors, which will be further supported by the recent cut to the Bank of England base rate," the FTSE 100 company said in a statement on Thursday.
Shares in Persimmon were up 1.7% by 0820 GMT on Thursday and the stock was among the top percentage gainers on the blue-chip index.
Investec analysts said in a note that Persimmon's comments on recent trading and outlook were positive in tone, with a good sales rate over the last few weeks auguring well for the rest of the year.
Persimmon, which builds homes ranging from studio apartments to five-bedroom houses, said the weekly net private sales rate per outlet since the start of the second-half stood at 0.69, up 68% on last year.
The North England-based company said it has got detailed planning on about 6,000 plots so far in the year, with around 1,000 of these achieved in July following the new government taking office.
Persimmon said it was on track to build about 10,500 homes for the full year, even as its pre-tax profit dropped 3% to 146.3 million pounds ($186 million) for the six-month period ended June 30.
Last week, Persimmon peer Taylor Wimpey TW.L also forecast its annual housebuilding target towards the upper end of its guidance range, underscoring market expectations of a demand recovery, a day before the Bank of England cut rates by 25 basis points.
($1 = 0.7879 pounds)
Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Emelia Sithole-Matarise
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