Britain's Barratt Developments will cut nearly a fifth of its workforce to cope with the housing market downturn, joining other builders taking similar measures, and will not pay a final dividend for 2007-08.
Austrian brickmaker Wienerberger warned on Thursday that earnings would fall this year as residential construction in Britain "collapsed" and U.S. building fell sharper than expected, sending its shares down as much as 23 percent.
The White House remains focused on passing legislation on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that will give confidence to the financial markets, a White House spokesman said Thursday, amid ongoing concerns about the mortgage finance heavyweights' capital levels.
Australian property investor GPT Group slashed its forecast for 2008 earnings by more than a quarter, hit by global market turbulence, sending its shares down as much as 21 percent.