Iran war has had ‘no material impact’ on trading to date, says Persimmon

The ongoing conflict in Iran has had no material impact on Persimmon’s trading so far, the housebuilder has claimed in an update to market.

The housebuilding giant issued a trade update for the period from 1 January 2026 to 26 April 2026, ahead of its AGM, which is being held this morning in York.

It reported net private sales per outlet per week of 0.76 during the period, up 3% from 0.74 in the equivalent period the year prior.

The builder also achieved detailed or reserved matters approval on just over 3,080 plots in the first quarter.

In its outlook for the period ahead, the group said that current uncertainty in the macroeconomic situation had affected neither the supply chain nor its sales rate. 

“The ongoing conflict in Iran, and resultant geopolitical and economic uncertainty, has not had any material impact on trading to date,” said Dean Finch, group chief executive.

“However, we are mindful of its potential impact, including on consumer confidence, and there are early signs of increased inflationary pressure.”

Several recent trading updates from leading housebuilders have cited the conflict as a cause for concern, with Bellway warning of “volatility”, Taylor Wimpey anticipating cost inflation, and Crest Nicholson entering talks with lenders to secure its position ahead of an expected drop in profitability.

“We are carefully monitoring the situation, driving sales across all brands and tenures, maintaining flexibility and a rigorous focus on cost control and cash generation, whilst being supported by a robust balance sheet,” Finch added.

Persimmon predicted that, “assuming market conditions do not materially deteriorate”, it will deliver underlying pre-tax profit in line with consensus (£462m) and complete between 12,000 and 12,500 homes in 2026.