Persimmon says housing slowdown easing

UK homebuilder Persimmon said sales in the first 16 weeks of the year were ahead of its internal targets amid signs the worst…

UK homebuilder Persimmon said sales in the first 16 weeks of the year were ahead of its internal targets amid signs the worst British housing slump in 30 years is easing.

Pricing and profit margins remain “under pressure”, Persimmon said today in a statement.

The homebuilder currently has about 6,500 homes reserved, contracted or legally completed, with total sales of about £960 million ($1.4 billion), the statement said.

“Whilst the recent improvement in market conditions is encouraging, we will remain cautious about the outlook until mortgage availability improves further and employment prospects become less uncertain,” the company said.