Persimmon reports steady performance with sale rates up

During the period, Persimmon’s net private sales per outlet per week stood at 0.79, up from 0.75 in the same period a year before.

The group’s private forward sales position increased from £2.09bn to £2.15bn, with its total forward sales position rising 1% from £2.79bn to £2.82bn. It operated from an average of 263 sales outlets, down from 272 the year before.

According to the update, the group expects to complete 12,472 homes this year and make an underlying pre-tax profit of £455.7m. Its expectations for 2027 are marginally higher, at 12,792 homes completed and underlying profit before tax of £460.5m.

In the nine months to 30 September, the group secured planning approvals for 8,722 plots, up 12% on 7,753 plots in the same period last year.

In the six months to 30 June, Persimmon reported pre-tax profits of £168m, up from £146.7m in the first half of last year, with revenue up from £1.5bn in H1 2025 to £1.73bn.

However, the group warned that inflationary pressures, driven by factors such as the war in the Middle East, are expected to increase costs by around £30m to £40m next year.

Spending in Q3 totalled £107m, down from £127m in 2025, of which £57m related to the settlement of land creditors, compared with £46m in the previous year. This brings total land spending in the year to £378m, up from £336m in the same period last year.

Chief executive Dean Finch said: “We are pleased to have sustained our resilient performance in a challenging market, with our market share continuing to grow. Our clear strategy has allowed the group to increase both sales and planning approvals at a time when the overall sector is declining.

“We expect to deliver another year of volume and profit growth, reflecting continued progress against our strategy and the strength of our three brands, product mix, national footprint and low-cost operating platform. We remain on track to deliver our 2026 performance in line with market expectations.

“We welcome the government’s recognition of the affordability challenges facing homebuyers through its proposed ‘Your First Home’ scheme.

“While affordability and build-cost pressures persist across the sector, our disciplined approach to land buying, our outlet network, strong brands and increasingly vertically integrated platform position us well to navigate these challenges, support sustainable growth and drive returns.”

The group’s owned and under-control land holdings stood at 81,300 plots at the end of September, up from 80,836 at the end of June, but down from 83,800 year on year.