Stocks in the U.K.’s housebuilding sector took a beating after Britain voted to leave the EU in June. Some of the biggest names in the industry saw their market values plummet, including Persimmon PLC (LN:PSN), which fell 40%, and Baratt Developments PLC (LN:BDEV), which fell 32%.
Now that the dust has settled and fear has dwindled, the housebuilding sector is making a comeback. Today, the sector is rallying, with housebuilders accounting for the top three winners on the FTSE 100.
Taylor Whimpey
Taylor Whimpey (LSE:TW) saw the biggest gains, climbing 2.22% to 156.7. Whimpey, which builds homes in both the U.K. and Spain, has seen its profits double over the last two years. Turnover has increased by an impressive 40%, and operating cash flow is currently at £426m.
Whimpey offers a dividend yield of 1.1% and has a P/E ratio of 10.
With solid financials, it’s clear that the company’s decline in the wake of the Brexit vote was primarily fear-based. But the stock is still cheap, which may signal that now is a good time to buy-in.
Barratt Developments
Coming in second on the list of winners is Barratt Developments, which saw a 1.58% gain today and is trading at 457.80.
Shares for Barratt tumbled as much as 32% after the Brexit vote, but the company’s solid financials have helped drive its recent rally.
Earnings have skyrocketed to 44.6p in 2015 from just 7.5p in 2013.
Currently, Barratt’s stock has a P/E of 10, and offers a 2.6% dividend yield. The company also expects to pay more of its increasing profits as dividends. Shares are at bargain levels, so now is a great time to add this housebuilder to your portfolio.
Persimmon PLC
Persimmon shares saw gains of 1.54% on Monday, trading at 1,775. The company was hit hard by the Brexit vote, tumbling as much as 40%.
But the company’s strengths lie in its dealing with premium properties, which has led to rapid growth in its profitability. EPS rose from 84p in 2013 to 166p in 2015. And Persimmon’s soaring share price means the company has now overtaken Barratt as the top housebuilder in the U.K.
