Bovis and Balfour Beatty see strong sales

Balfour Beatty employs more than 40,000 workers.

House builder Bovis Homes says it has seen an increase in sales by a quarter in 2009.

The group saw 754 completions in the first half of 2009, rising to 1,049 in the following six months.

According to the group, a buoyant social housing market was boosting price rises, while the cost of private housing was down 9% at £165,500.

Meanwhile, Balfour Beatty has said its 2009 order book is in line with the £13.7bn previously reported.

The company said that it remained confident in spite of the economic uncertainties and that its balance sheet and financial position remained strong, with average net cash for the second half of the year being in excess of £300m.

Bovis Homes says its orders for 2010 have soared by more than 50%, with 643 homes on the order book at the end of December, up by 218 on a year ago.

However, in a statement, the firm said it expected trading in 2010 to be "subdued".