Taylor Wimpey resumes dividend as profits rise The builder says it has been focusing on quality not quantity in terms of its strategy, prioritising profit margins over sales volumes. Pre-tax profits were £78.6m, against a £154.8m loss for 2010 due to hefty refinancing costs. Stripping out one-off items, profits were £89.9m against a £15.9m loss last time, on revenues flat at £1.8bn. The company's dividend plans came after rival Persimmon on Tuesday pledged to return £1.9bn to shareholders within a decade. "Albeit small, the return to paying a dividend is a positive signal," said Investec analysts. However, Robin Hardy at Peel Hunt said there might be disappointment as Taylor Wimpey was not "clearer" on potential returns The shares fell 2.96 to 49.69p. Meanwhile, suppor services and building group Carillion said its international business mix helped it weather tough market conditions last year. The company, which operates in the Middle East and Canada as well as the UK, reported that pre-tax profits for 2011 were down 15pc at £142.8m, on revenues which were flat at £5.1bn. However, when costs relating to its purchase of energy business Eaga were stripped out, profits were up by 13pc at £212m, it said. The group proposed a final dividend of 11.6p, which left the full-year dividend up 9pc at 16.9p. Nonetheless, the shares fell 5.5pc to 325p as analysts suspected a more cautious note, pointing to management expectations that trading conditions will remain "challenging."