Release Date: February 27, 2025
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Positive Points
- Taylor Wimpey PLC (TWODF, Financial) achieved the highest construction quality scores, customer scores, and overall build quality in its history during 2024.
- The company maintained a strong balance sheet while providing reliable dividend payouts to shareholders.
- Taylor Wimpey PLC (TWODF) ended the year with a robust land bank of 79,000 plots, positioning it well for future growth.
- The UK sales rate increased by 21% compared to 2023, contributing to a stronger order book and improved revenue outlook.
- The company demonstrated strong cost discipline, achieving an operating profit of GBP416 million despite challenging market conditions.
Negative Points
- Affordability remains a challenge, particularly for first-time buyers, despite improvements in mortgage rates.
- The tangible net asset value per share decreased by 2.6% due to additional fire safety provisions and joint venture exits.
- The operating margin was impacted by house price inflation and build cost inflation, with expectations of further margin pressure in the first half of 2025.
- Land sales in 2024, which improved margins, are not expected to have a similar beneficial impact in 2025.
- The company anticipates low single-digit build cost inflation in 2025, driven primarily by material costs.
Q & A Highlights
Q: Can you elaborate on the slight improvement in pricing this year and whether it's more pronounced in the Midlands and North compared to the South? Also, what are your thoughts on the potential for outlet numbers to increase in a better planning environment?
A: Jennie Daly, CEO: We've seen improvement in pricing across the board, with the North showing more strength. The South is also improving, albeit at a slower pace. Regarding outlets, if the planning environment improves, we could see an increase in outlet numbers. However, this depends on the implementation of planning policies and the viability of sites.
Q: How do you balance sales rate versus average selling price (ASP) in the near term?
A: Jennie Daly, CEO: We assess this on a site-by-site basis. If there's strong demand, we aim to drive prices up. It's not about choosing sales rate over ASP growth; it's about maximizing each site's potential.
Q: What are your expectations for the impact of the fire safety levy on costs per unit?
A: Jennie Daly, CEO: There's limited information on the fire safety levy, but previous consultations suggested a cost of around GBP3,500 per unit. However, this could vary across markets. Our teams are actively working on strategies to mitigate its impact.
Q: Can you provide more details on the expected whip (work in progress) build-up for this year?
A: Christopher Carney, CFO: We expect whip investment to increase to between GBP2.1 billion and GBP2.2 billion by mid-year, reflecting the second-half weighting of completions and infrastructure investments.
Q: What is your view on the need for demand-side support from the government?
A: Jennie Daly, CEO: The government's focus has been on supply-side measures. While the mortgage guarantee scheme is helpful, more lenders need to offer 95% loan-to-value products for it to make a significant impact. Further government intervention could be beneficial, especially in the affordable housing sector.
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
