<p><span>Persimmon’s profits hit the £1 billion mark</span><span> during its year to December 31 2018, it reported today (January 26), while also announcing its new group chief executive as </span><span>Dave Jenkinson.</span></p> <p><span>During 2018, the volume housebuilder’s pre-tax profit climbed 13% to £1.091 billion against 2017, with a 13% increase in operating profits to £1.083 billion. R</span><span>evenue lifted 4% to £3.74 billion.</span></p> <p><span>The firm’s legal completions grew </span><span>3% to 16,449, with the average selling price rising 1% to </span><span>£215,563. Persimmon saw “strong performances” across all its geographical markets, it said.</span></p> <p><span>It achieved </span><span>0.70 of a sale per week against 2017’s 0.72, “reflecting the resilient trading conditions seen in 2018,” it said.</span></p> <p><span>Across the UK, Persimmon opened 180 new sales outlets, down on last year’s 200.</span></p> <p><span>Persimmon’s current total forward sales, including legal completions taken so far this year, stand at £2.02 billion against the previous year’s £2.03 billion. The business expects to deliver a similar number of legal completions during 2019 as in 2018, it said.</span></p> <p><span>During the first eight weeks of 2019, Persimmon’s average private sales rate per site was 4% lower than the previous year. This was due to Brexit uncertainty, “record sales in the same weeks last year” and …