London, Feb 17, 2026, 09:45 GMT — Regular session
- Barratt Redrow shares bounce back, gaining roughly 2.4% in early London trading after slipping in the previous session.
- Builder snapped up another 140,000 shares for cancellation as part of its £50 million buyback programme.
- UK inflation figures land Wednesday, and traders are watching closely for any hints about the Bank of England’s next steps.
Barratt Redrow (BTRW.L) climbed 2.4% to 383 pence by 0945 GMT, after closing at 373.9 pence on the previous day. Shares kicked off at 375 pence, bouncing between 374.8 and 383.6 through the morning.
Shares are trading on changing expectations for UK rates—a major lever for mortgage rates and homebuyer appetite. Monday’s Reuters survey showed economists leaning toward a Bank of England quarter-point cut on March 19, and Deutsche Bank’s Sanjay Raja told Reuters a March cut looks “almost a done deal.” Reuters
Barratt Redrow shares have seesawed since the weekend, tossed by fresh housing news and shifting broker sentiment. The stock landed among the housebuilders “under the cosh” on Monday, following a Rightmove update. Peel Hunt knocked its rating down to ‘add’ from ‘buy’, according to Sharecast. Sharecast
The company disclosed early Tuesday it snapped up 140,000 shares for cancellation on Feb. 16, part of its £50 million buyback plan. Prices ranged from 374.8 pence up to 384.1 pence, landing at a volume-weighted average of 377.38 pence. Total repurchases have now hit 4.31 million shares, according to the filing.
Canceling stock through buybacks reduces the number of shares, so if profits are stable, that pushes earnings per share higher. The volume-weighted average price? That’s just the average purchase price, adjusted for how many shares changed hands with each trade.
Rightmove pointed to a softer tone in asking prices following January’s jump. Average asking prices for newly listed homes dipped by £12 to £368,019 this February, the property portal reported. “The market fundamentals haven’t changed,” said property expert Colleen Babcock, describing conditions as “very price-sensitive.” Rightmove
Macro forces are shaping the backdrop. UK labour-market numbers out Tuesday knocked sterling lower and fueled bets on more rate cuts. “This is yet another soft labour market report,” said Luke Bartholomew at Aberdeen, after joblessness edged up to 5.2% and wage gains slowed. Reuters
Several housebuilders slipped after the Rightmove readout. Taylor Wimpey, Berkeley, and Persimmon all traded lower Monday, catching attention as sector laggards following the update, according to Proactive Investors.
Still, the “rates will save it” bet can unravel in a hurry. Should inflation come in stronger than expected, mortgage rates tend to move up too, forcing builders to rely more heavily on incentives as the spring selling season approaches.
The countdown’s almost over. The Office for National Statistics drops its UK consumer price inflation report for January at 0700 GMT on Feb. 18. Rate bets for March? This data lands right in the middle of them, and could yank housebuilder shares into their next move.
