Vistry shares slide after Allianz ‘cuts insurance cover’
Shares in Vistry fell on Monday morning after speculation over its insurance cover prompted fresh fears that the housebuilder is facing cash struggles.
The FTSE 250 housebuilder saw its stock slide by nearly eight per cent to 261p in early trading, meaning the firm has shed more than half of its market value in the year to date.
The share price slide came after the Financial Times reported on Saturday that leading credit insurer Allianz Trade has cut the level of cover it extends to the housebuilder’s suppliers.
This investor spook is the latest blow in a tumultuous period for the firm, whose new chief executive is faced with a slowing housing market and rising building costs.
Allianz could cut Vistry’s cover by up to 70 per cent, the Financial Times was told, in a move that could threaten the housebuilder’s cash flow. The group had already resorted to selling off land to boost its balance sheet.
Vistry’s suppliers claim insurance from Allianz to protect themselves in the event that the housebuilder might fail to pay for its goods or services. Withdrawn cover could prompt these suppliers to demand payment upfront rather than on a delayed basis.
The housebuilder denied that any suppliers have pulled trade following the report. A spokesperson said: “Credit insurers continue to provide substantial cover for our supply chain which more than meets the Group’s requirements on an ongoing basis.
“We are not aware of any supplier withdrawing trade from Vistry due to credit insurance changes and we have seen no interruptions to our supply chain. We maintain positive relationships with our suppliers as we continue to build at scale and pace, delivering the high-quality homes this country needs.”
Duncan Cooper, the boss of building materials supplier Travis Perkins, prompted speculation over Vistry’s credit situation last week when he claimed cover had been pulled from a “fairly significant national housebuilder” during a results call.
Vistry’s shares fell about 10 per cent following Cooper’s comments, and have dipped even lower at the start of this week.
Vistry ‘looks to weather tricky period’
The housebuilder’s struggles have attracted the attention of short-sellers in recent weeks as it looks to regain direction following the surprise retirement of much-loved chief executive Greg Fitzgerald.
New boss Adam Daniels, a former regional manager at the housebuilder, sought to give investors advance sight of his upcoming strategic review in an unscheduled trading update last month.
But the notice, which revealed that Vistry was forecasting a £30m pre-tax loss for the first half of the year, prompted a share price sell-off. The housebuilder said on the same day that its finance chief, Tim Lawlor, will quit after being poached by a private firm.
Vistry’s pursuit of a novel partnerships model had made it the darling of the sector but its progress has slowed in recent years, putting this strategic shift into doubt.
Russ Mould, AJ Bell’s investment director, said Daniels “must be wondering what he has walked into, having taken over the helm a little less than four months ago”.
“The share price reaction shows investors are concerned and this will only ramp up the pressure on the company to pay down debt as it looks to weather a tricky period for the property market.”
Vistry’s spokesperson said that Daniels’s review is “progressing well.” The housebuilder expects to hold about £100m in net cash by the end of this year, they added.