22nd Jul 2026 11:13
(Alliance News) - Henry Boot PLC on Wednesday said domestic political uncertainty in the UK, as well as the war in the Middle East alongside macroeconomic uncertainty continued to impact consumer and business confidence.
The Sheffield, England-based construction and property development firm said in the first half of 2026, Hallam Land sold 556 plots, down 55% from 1,222 a year prior. A further 465 were exchange for completion in the second half of 2026, up 13% from 410.
Henry Boot said: "Macroeconomic uncertainty remains elevated, with domestic political uncertainty and the conflict in the Middle East continuing to weigh on consumer and business confidence. This backdrop has contributed to lower transaction volumes across our markets."
Stonebridge Homes completed 72 homes in the first half of 2026, down 15% from 85 a year ago.
Notably, Henry Boots expects that Stonebridge Homes will make an operating loss in 2026, citing higher mortgage rates impacting demand, while higher energy prices contributed to build cost inflation of around 5%.
Looking ahead, Henry Boot said market conditions remain challenging, with financial performance in the first half expected to be below that of a year ago.
Pertinently, Henry Boot anticipates that pretax profit in 2026 will be "significantly" below current market consensus, which it cites as GBP20.4 million. For 2025, it had reported a pretax profit of GBP29.1 million.
The firm said: "The group remains focused on cash generation and disciplined cost control; however, the board will not prioritise short-term performance at the expense of future returns. The longer-term fundamentals of our markets remain attractive, and with a strong pipeline of opportunities across our portfolio, the group is well placed for the medium term."
The company will publish half-year results on September 22.
Henry Boot shares fell 5.1% to 157.50 pence each on Wednesday morning in London, its lowest share price since early 2013.
By Tom Budszus, Alliance News slot editor
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