Bovis Homes says trading is robust The builder completed 944 homes in the six months to June 30 compared with 801 homes a year ago, with the average sale price rising 1pc to £164,400. David Ritchie, the chief executive of Bovis Homes Group, said in a trading update: "The Group has performed strongly, in line with expectations, in the first half of 2012 with a significant improvement in profit ... The continued success in the land market during the first half of 2012, with around 2,500 new plots contracted, is positioning the Group for further growth in the future. Bovis expects to report a housing gross margin for the half year of around 21pc, up from 20.1pc in the same half last year. Including a strong profit of £3.9m from land sales, the housebuilder expects to deliver an operating margin for the half year over two percentage points ahead of the prior year at around 10pc, against 7.5pc in the first half last year. Last week, Persimmon, the country's largest housebuilder by market value, followed other property developers by saying that market conditions had been relatively stable despite sentiment being hit by the continued weakness in the wider economy. Net private reservations at Bovis rose 24pc to 993. The government's NewBuy scheme is growing and currently is being used for over 10pc of private reservations. Bovis said its growth strategy is expected to generate strongly improved returns going forward, "assuming UK housing market conditions remain stable." Bovis Homes shares, which have gained 10pc since the start of the year, fell 3pc in early trading on Monday.