Bullish Barratt plans dividend

The housebuilder Barratt Developments more than doubled profits and enjoyed a bullish start to 2013, racking up £1.1bn in orders during the first eight weeks of the year.

The company, which veered close to collapse after an ill-timed acquisition in 2007, also expects to pay its first dividend since the credit crunch at the end of the year. Pre-tax profits for the six months to 31 December jumped 113 per cent to £46.1bn.