UK housebuilder Berkeley reaffirms annual outlook after interim profit fall

(Reuters) - Berkeley Group Holdings retained its annual profit outlook on Friday, even as the British high-end homebuilder reported a 2% fall in half-year profit weighed down by pricier home loans and a deepening cost-of-living crisis.

The company, which operates mainly in London, Birmingham and the South of England, said pre-tax profit fell to 284.8 million pounds ($349.3 million) in the six months ended Oct. 31, compared with 290.7 million pounds a year earlier.

($1 = 0.8154 pounds)

(Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)