Key Statistics: 17th January 2012

Glenigan's weekly roundup of keys statistics for the UK construction industry and the wider economy.

Construction

• House builder Bovis expects to record profits of about £31m for last year, up 68% on 2010. The firm also expects to report an 8% increase in overall home completions for 2011, to 2,045 units.

UK Economy

• Over the twelve months to December 2011 the Producer Price Index for home sales of manufactured products rose 4.8%. This is the lowest annual rate since December 2010, when the index rose 4.2% according to the ONS.
• In the three months to November 2011, the seasonally adjusted estimates of international visits to and from the UK fell by 1% on the previous three months. Earnings from visits to the UK fell 4% while expenditure on visits abroad remained broadly the same.
• The seasonally adjusted Index of Production fell by 3.1% in November 2011 compared with November 2010, the largest fall since December 2009.
• The UK’s deficit on seasonally adjusted trade in goods and services was £2.6 billion in November, compared with the deficit of £1.9 billion in October.
• According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders, loans for house purchase totalled 47,000 (worth £6.9 billion) in November, a 3% rise (5% in value) compared to November 2010. This was only the second year-on-year rise registered in 2011.