Barratt balances sales price pressure

Unlike many of its peers, Barratt Developments (BDEV) has managed to increase its operating margin in the face of continuing pressure on house sales prices. The margin rose to 18.9 per cent – from 17.7 per cent  in FY2018 – as the housebuilder purchased sites at a higher margin and increasingly used more modern methods of construction, including off-site manufacturing.