Ibstock, one of the UK's largest brickmakers, has announced a loss of £27m for the first half of 2026, a significant drop from the £8m profit recorded in the same period last year. The Leicestershire-based company also reduced its dividend from 1.5p to 0.5p per share.
Revenue for the six-month period fell by 15 per cent to £164m. Ibstock attributed these results to a "challenging" housebuilding market, noting that private housebuilding and maintenance activity levels remain subdued.
The company stated that conditions are expected to remain challenging in the near term, citing renewed uncertainty around the Middle East conflict and a changing UK political backdrop as potential factors affecting consumer confidence and the wider construction sector. Ibstock's stock has declined by 30 per cent since the beginning of the year.