Persimmon Says 2024 'Highly Uncertain' Despite Sales Pickup

British homebuilder Persimmon says 2024 is 'highly uncertain' despite a recent pickup in home sales. The company says that it is still facing challenges from rising mortgage rates and the cost of living crisis. Persimmon's pre-tax profit for the six months to June 30 fell 13% to ?558.4 million ($691.9 million). Revenue fell 12% to ?2.23 billion ($2.75 billion). The company said that it sold 8,008 homes in the first half of the year, up from 7,914 in the same period last year. However, the average selling price of a Persimmon home fell 1.5% to ?276,000 ($341,691). Persimmon said that it expects to sell 9,000 to 10,000 homes in the full year. However, it warned that the outlook for 2024 is "highly uncertain". "The group is not providing profit guidance for 2024 given the current economic and market conditions," Persimmon said in a statement. The company cited rising mortgage rates, the cost of living crisis, and the war in Ukraine as factors that could weigh on demand for new homes in the coming year. Despite the uncertain outlook, Persimmon said that it is confident in its long-term prospects. The company said that it has a strong balance sheet and a healthy order book. Persimmon also announced that it will increase its dividend by 5% to 100 pence per share. The company said that the dividend increase reflects its confidence in its future earnings.