Greg Fitzgerald, the chief executive of Vistry Group, declared yesterday that he has “not been this happy since the start of the year” and “everything is pointing to a strong performance for the full year”.
It is a remarkable statement for a housebuilder to make in the midst of an economic and public health crisis. Coronavirus cases are rising in England, and the Bank of England has forecast a 9.5 per cent fall in GDP this year and for unemployment almost to double to 7.5 per cent.
Vistry, formerly known as Bovis Homes, swung to a pre-tax loss of £12.2 million in the six months to the end of June, compared with a profit of £72.5 million a year earlier. Home completions tumbled to
