Construction firm insolvencies jump to fresh high amid rising costs May 5, 2025 Construction business insolvencies have increased to their highest-ever level, a City AM analysis has found, as a barrage of rising costs continues to squeeze many in the sector to the point of collapse. As many as 840 construction firms appointed liquidators or administrators in the first four months of the year, the analysis of corporate [...]
Sir Robert McAlpine returns to profit after losing over £100m April 28, 2025 Sir Robert McAlpine, the family-owned construction giant which built London 2012’s Olympic Stadium, has recovered from losing over £100m to return to profit. The Hertfordshire-headquartered business has posted a pre-tax profit of £10.4m for 2024 after having slumped to a loss of £104.6m in 2023. The business has also reported a turnover of £940m for [...]
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 [...]
Balfour Beatty: Investors cash in as orders swell March 12, 2025 Balfour Beatty has hiked its dividend after the construction giant reported a bumper year. On Wednesday, the London-listed firm recommended a final dividend per share of 12.5p, up nine per cent from last year’s 11.5p. Basic earnings per share also rose from 34.2p to 43.6p. Balfour Beatty is also in the process of a multi-year [...]
Breedon Group acquires US firm Lionmark for £187m March 5, 2025 Construction materials firm Breedon Group has acquired US-based Lionmark for £187m as it continues to expand its presence across the Atlantic. Chief executive Rob Wood said he expected the takeover to more than double Breedon Group’s US revenue and be “immediately earnings enhancing” for shareholders. It is expected to be completed by 7 March. Missouri-headquartered [...]
Morgan Sindall hikes dividend as revenue hits record February 26, 2025 Morgan Sindall, the UK-based construction and regeneration group, has reported record results for the year ending 31 December 2024. The group recorded a 10 per cent increase in revenue to £4.55bn, while adjusted operating profit rose 15 per cent to £162.6m. Adjusted profit before tax grew by 19 per cent to £172.5m, with adjusted earnings [...]
UK construction activity falls sharply as confidence plunges February 6, 2025 UK construction activity fell sharply in January, ending a 10-month streak of expansion as higher borrowing costs, gloomy economic prospects and weak client confidence hit the sector. S&P Global’s UK Construction Purchasing Managers Index fell to 48.1 last month, down from 53.3 in December and well below the 53.4 expected by analysts. “The overall construction [...]
‘Prohibitive building costs’ stunting UK growth projects – Deloitte February 4, 2025 “Prohibitive costs” involved in construction projects in major UK cities led to a sharp decline in the number of new developments breaking ground in 2024, according to a new report from Deloitte. Deloitte’s latest Regional Crane Surveys, which covers the central areas of Belfast, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, has revealed the number of new starts [...]
Housebuilding woes ahead of Budget weigh on construction activity November 6, 2024 Having reached a 29-month high in September, S&P's construction purchasing managers' index (PMI) "slowed considerably" last month.
Caterpillar: Price rises help profit pass £100m at UK arm September 20, 2024 Profit at the UK arm of Caterpillar has jumped past £100m after its international sales surged during its latest financial year. The Leicestershire-headquartered division has posted a pre-tax profit of £102.2m for 2023, up from the £74.4m it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show that its turnover rose from £1.33bn to [...]