London, Feb 16, 2026, 10:48 (GMT) — Regular session
- Mid-morning, Persimmon shares slipped, with UK housebuilders responding to the latest housing-market data.
- Rightmove flagged stable asking prices for February, following a January bump after the budget.
- Persimmon’s March results are in focus, with investors searching for clues on volume trends, pricing, and where margins might land.
Shares of Persimmon Plc slipped 0.5% to 1,512.5 pence as of 1048 GMT on Monday, following declines among UK housebuilders. The move came after Rightmove flagged a halt in asking-price growth. 1
Builders are banking on lower mortgage rates to spark a stronger spring selling season. The sector has reacted to minor swings in sentiment, with sellers facing a choice: keep prices steady or ramp up incentives to move inventory.
UK home asking prices stalled in the four weeks through Feb. 7, according to Rightmove, following a record surge right after early January. That earlier spike? Rightmove attributes it to renewed confidence post-autumn budget, which the government rolled out in late November, easing some of the immediate uncertainty for both buyers and sellers. 2
Rightmove’s February house price index showed average asking prices for new listings at £368,019—virtually unchanged from January, off by just £12. Prices are still running 2.8% higher since December. The report pointed to the highest stock of homes on the market in 11 years. Rightmove’s tracker pegged the average two-year fixed mortgage rate at 4.28%, a drop from 4.96% a year ago. “Sellers will still need to come to the market at tempting prices,” said Colleen Babcock, property expert at Rightmove. 3
Barratt Redrow, Taylor Wimpey, and Berkeley dropped in London trading, trailing after the Rightmove update pushed housebuilders lower. 4
Persimmon grabbed a mention of its own. The group’s flagship, Persimmon Homes, just inked a new three-year deal with property portal Zoopla, ensuring all its developments will stay listed and tapping Zoopla’s tools for stronger buyer leads. “We’re delighted to extend our long standing partnership,” said Persimmon sales director Ed McCoy. On the Zoopla side, commercial director Alex Rose said the platform was supporting builders to “maximise demand” across developments. 5
The Zoopla renewal isn’t a sales update. Instead, it spotlights the real battleground: turning browsers into buyers, all while holding the line on pricing. Marketing efficiency matters for builders, but what really moves the needle is still mortgage affordability and whether buyers trust the market.
It’s a double-edged sword. Should supply remain elevated and buyers push harder at the table, builders could have to sweeten incentives further to keep deals moving—putting a squeeze on margins, despite stable headline prices.
Eyes now turn to Persimmon’s full-year numbers due March 10. Investors are set to dig into updates on selling rates, prices, build costs, and any movement in margin forecasts for 2026. 6
