Rachel Reeves to call for rapid AI adoption and deeper ties with EU to boost growth – business live

## Summary
UK building materials supplier Travis Perkins has cautioned this morning that it faces a ‘subdued’ trading environment.
In its full year results for 2025, Travis Perkins reported that the weakness seen in the final three months of the year has continued in 2026, saying;
double quotation mark
The trading environment since the start of the year has remained subdued and this reflects a continuation of the weak UK construction activity figures reported for the final quarter of 2025.
The company, which provides building materials to professional builders and tradespeople, also reported a drop in adjusted operating profit to £133m, from £152m in 2024, “reflecting lower margins in Merchanting”.

## Article Content
UK building materials supplier Travis Perkins has cautioned this morning that it faces a ‘subdued’ trading environment.
In its full year results for 2025, Travis Perkins reported that the weakness seen in the final three months of the year has continued in 2026, saying;
double quotation mark
The trading environment since the start of the year has remained subdued and this reflects a continuation of the weak UK construction activity figures reported for the final quarter of 2025.
The company, which provides building materials to professional builders and tradespeople, also reported a drop in adjusted operating profit to £133m, from £152m in 2024, “reflecting lower margins in Merchanting”.

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
- In its full year results for 2025, Travis Perkins reported that the weakness seen in the final three months of the year has continued in 2026, saying; double quotation mark The trading environment since the start of the year has remained subdued and this reflects a continuation of the weak UK construction activity figures reported for the final quarter of 2025.

### Implications
N/A

### Expert Commentary
This article covers reported, building, materials topics. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 108.