London, Feb 16, 2026, 12:56 GMT — Regular session
- Taylor Wimpey shares fall about 1.4% in London trade
- Rightmove says UK asking prices were broadly flat in February after January’s jump
- Investors now look to Taylor Wimpey’s March results for margin and demand signals
Taylor Wimpey shares slipped on Monday, with the UK homebuilder’s stock down 1.4% at 114.85 pence as fresh housing data pointed to a market that is still wary on prices. (Lse)
The move matters because housebuilders trade as a bet on mortgage costs and buyer confidence. With the spring selling season close, any hint that demand is stalling tends to show up fast in these shares.
It also lands ahead of a heavy stretch for the sector, when companies have to show whether lower mortgage rates are actually turning into reservations and completions, not just enquiries.
Rightmove said the average asking price of newly listed homes was essentially flat in February, down by £12 to £368,019, and noted the number of homes for sale was at an 11-year high for this time of year. Its tracker put the average two-year fixed mortgage rate at 4.28%, down from 4.96% a year ago, and property expert Colleen Babcock said “the market fundamentals haven’t changed” and remains “very price-sensitive.”
Rightmove also said the latest pause followed a record January jump in asking prices after uncertainty eased following the government’s late-November budget, which had left buyers and sellers hesitating. (Reuters)
For Taylor Wimpey, the next big test is its full-year results on March 5. (Taylor Wimpey)
The company in January warned its 2026 operating profit margin — operating profit as a share of revenue — would fall from last year’s 11% and trimmed its 2025 operating profit forecast to about 420 million pounds. It said its year-end order book stood at 1.86 billion pounds, down from nearly 2 billion a year earlier, and CEO Jennie Daly flagged that “demand continues to be muted” especially among first-time buyers. Quilter Cheviot’s Oli Creasey said the guidance “will not be what the market was hoping to see.” (Reuters)
Investors will be listening for more than the headline profit number. They tend to focus on the sales rate (how many homes sell per outlet per week), cancellations, and whether builders are using discounts or bulk deals to keep volumes moving.
The other pressure point is costs. If build costs run ahead of house prices, margins can get squeezed even if volumes hold up.
Rate expectations still sit in the background. The Bank of England’s next scheduled policy decision is on March 19, a date that often matters to the whole UK housing complex. (Bank of England)
But the downside case is not hard to sketch: heavy supply and price-sensitive buyers could cap pricing power, and any wobble in mortgage rates can chill first-time buyers first, hitting the part of the market builders rely on to keep chains moving.
Taylor Wimpey’s full-year results on March 5 are the next clear catalyst, with traders watching for updated margin guidance and early reads on the spring selling season.
