HOUSEBUILDER George Wimpey said annual profits were likely to be towards the lower end of expectations after a difficult year for the sector.
The group, which also operates under the Laing Homes brand, completed 12,100 properties in the UK last year, a fall of one per cent on a year earlier, and with an average selling price four per cent lower than previously.
It said it was too early to predict trading conditions for this year, although it reported signs of "some firming"in the market during the late autumn, particularly in the South.
Analysts' forecasts showed Wimpey making profits of about £380m, compared with £450.7m during the boom of 2004. The City's expectations ranged between £340m and £409m.
The company is the UK's third largest housebuilder behind Barratt and Persimmon.
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