Housebuilder Persimmon has said it expects to deliver home completions at the “upper end” of targets, despite a challenging property market. However, the company said profits are on track with guidance and it expects to complete around 12,500 homes in 2026, at the top end of its previous guidance. It came as Persimmon revealed that new home completions were up 13% to 5,189 for the first half of the year. Net private sales were up 6% in the five weeks to the end of June, but the company said open market sales have “softened slightly in recent weeks” due to tough conditions in the wider housing market. “Housebuilders are operating in one of the most challenging markets in recent history, and Persimmon is navigating it well.