Occupancy down at Unite Students, but demand surges at ‘elite’ universities Property Unite Students saw a slide in occupancy across its portfolio, offset by resilient demand at top elite universities. The student accommodation developer reported a 9 per cent increase in adjusted earnings to £232.3m for 2025. However, its statutory profit fell by 78 per cent due to a decline in the valuation of the property portfolio. [...]
‘Urgent and consistent’ policies needed to revive SME housebuilding Property The government must fix the ‘overly complex, costly, and slow’ operating environment for small and medium construction companies to unlock housebuilding, according to a new report. Delivery of new homes could be increased by up to 56 per cent – 100,000 properties a year – if barriers to building are removed, according to the State [...]
Travis Perkins: New CEO named after torrid year and FTSE 250 shares slump Business The man chosen to lead an almighty rebuilding project at construction supplies giant Travis Perkins has been named. Gavin Slark has been picked as the Northamptonshire-headquartered company’s new chief executive and is set to take up his role no later than 1 January, 2026. Slark has held the same position at SIG since 2023 and [...]
Travis Perkins: Profit plunges as construction industry recovery remains sluggish April 1, 2025 Travis Perkins has reported a 99 per cent plunge in operating profit in 2024, after a torrid year for the Nottinghamshire-headquartered firm. The FTSE 250 building group reported an operating profit of £2m, down from £161m in 2023, after a 4.7 per cent revenue decline. Shares in the group fell 10.4 per cent in early [...]
Will the government’s £2bn affordable housing top-up make a difference? March 25, 2025 The government has ploughed a ‘top-up’ investment of £2bn into the UK’s affordable housing sector as part of its pledge to revitalise residential construction. Officials say it will get working people and families into secure homes, while detractors say it doesn’t go far enough and might even be less money than the sector had anticipated. [...]
Travis Perkins: CEO steps down due to ill health March 10, 2025 The chief executive of Travis Perkins has stepped down with immediate effect because of ill health. Pete Redfern was appointed to lead the Northamptonshire-headquartered group in September 2024, succeeding Nick Roberts. In a statement issued to the London Stock Exchange, Travis Perkins said its board “supports Pete’s understandable decision to prioritise his health and wishes [...]
Londonmetric makes £120m worth of acquisitions and sales in dealmaking spree September 2, 2024 LondonMetric has made £70m worth of acquisitions and offloaded other assets worth £50m in the real estate investment trust's (REIT) latest dealmaking spree.
Travis Perkins lowers profit forecast on housing market slowdown August 6, 2024 Travis Perkins said its restructuring measures and tightened controls have helped cut overheads by £19m compared to the previous year, with cost inflation absorbed.
Travis Perkins appoints non-exec as new boss July 10, 2024 Pete Redfern has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of Travis Perkins, succeeding current CEO Nick Roberts, who is leaving after five years in the role. The UK-based building supplies firm has suffered in the economic downturn and slowdown in construction, with profits falling as much as 70 per cent in 2023. “[Redfern] [...]
Taylor Wimpey and Rightmove set to benefit from Labour housebuilding plans June 26, 2024 Firms including Taylor Wimpey and Rightmove are poised to benefit if Labour wins the general election on 4 July, according to a leading broker, as both main parties put homebuilding at the centre of their plans to tackle the UK's housing crisis.