Crest Nicholson PLC (LSE:CRST) has reported a recovery in new home sales following a sluggish second half of last year, with the housebuilder's sales rate edging ahead of the previous year despite growing economic uncertainty.
In the ten weeks to 20 March, the group's open market sales rate rose to 0.64 homes sold per site per week, up from 0.61 for the full year 2025.
The company said customer enquiries had been at encouraging levels since mid-January, and it said it was "yet to see any material trading impact" from the wider macroeconomic shock stemming from the Iran war, but "is alert to the potential risks and will respond accordingly to any changes in the trading environment".
Guidance for the full year was left unchanged, with half-year results due on 11 June.
The FTSE Small Cap housebuilder is one year into its 'Project Elevate' strategy, which aims to reposition the business away from volume housebuilding toward mid-premium, customer-focused homes.
Divisional restructuring announced in November is now complete, it said, with the reshaping of its land bank continuing with one further site disposal completed this year.
A five-star housebuilder rating from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) has been maintained.