LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - Housebuilder Bellway announced the launch of a £150m share buyback on Tuesday as it reported a jump in full-year profit and revenue as completions grew despite "ongoing challenges" for the industry.
In the year to 31 July, underlying pre-tax profit rose 28% to £289.1m, with revenue up 17% to £2.78bn.

The private reservation rate increased to an average of 139 per week from 124 in 2024, with trading enhanced by a modest increase in bulk sales.

Completions were 14.3% higher at 8,749 at an average selling price of £316,412, up from £307,909 a year earlier. This was driven by a strengthened order book at the start of the financial year and the higher level of private reservations, the company said.

Bellway said customer demand was supported by generally good availability of mortgage finance and relative stability in mortgage interest rates during the year.

As far as recent trading is concerned, Bellway said that since the start of the new financial year there has been a continuation of weak consumer sentiment which has carried from late spring. Customer demand has been affected by ongoing affordability constraints and uncertainty about potential tax changes in the November budget, it said.

Chief executive Jason Honeyman said: "Bellway has delivered a good performance in FY25 with double-digit growth in volume output and profits, and our sharper focus on balance sheet efficiency is reflected by the £150m share buyback programme announced today.

"While we face some near-term market challenges, we have a high-quality land bank, strong balance sheet and the operational capacity to capitalise on the positive long-term fundamentals of our industry. Combined with our refreshed and disciplined approach to capital allocation, I am confident that we can drive increased volume output, cash generation and shareholder returns in FY26 and beyond."

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