There are worse places to end up in your dotage than a McCarthy & Stone retirement home. Unlike several of its compatriots among the housebuilders, its properties have not been criticised for poor construction and quality.
Its villages foster a feeling of community, and, relative to average national house prices, at just over £300,000 a pop, its properties are not too pricey. The group’s business model, however, has found itself on shakier foundations, to the point where this column recommended selling the shares two years ago this month. The removal of one of three big problems and a welcome recovery plan later that year led to a subsequent move to hold.
However, amid a degree of volatility perhaps unsurprising given the market backdrop, the shares