AI gen modular home
Adobe Stock
The Market Online - At The Bell

Join our daily newsletter At The Bell to receive exclusive market insights

Fleetwood Limited (ASX:FWD) has announced its receipt of a contract to build and install 60 homes for the Queensland state government.

The contract is part of a larger QLD plan announced last month to build 600 modular homes intended to add some liquidity to a record low vacancy pool.

Fleetwood owns a manufacturing facility in QLD but the size of the contract is perhaps indicative of a state government testing out just what Fleetwood can accomplish in a world where thousands of Australian construction companies died during COVID.

Case in point, the contract is worth $40M – nothing to sneeze at for shareholders, but in context of the larger 600-house strategy QLD wants, only 1% of projected demand.

Still, this may be looked back upon as the first sign of life that Australia’s construction landscape is starting to heal. Just try telling that to Australians living out of their cars.

“While the Company has been successfully supplying limited quantities of homes into this sector for some time, the award of this larger package positions Fleetwood to display our capability to play a part in solving the critical housing shortage nationally,” Fleetwood CEO Bruce Nicholson said.

“The award aligns with Fleetwood’s strategy of growing in the social housing sector by working closely with State Governments.”

No doubt, a safer – and more certain – place for builders to currently be.

FWD last traded at $1.48/sh.

FWD by the numbers
More From The Market Online
The Market Online Video

Market Close: ASX Ltd drops on ASIC $150M raise request; iron ore offsets gold bounceback

Good Afternoon and welcome to Market Close for Monday of Week 51, I’m Jon Davidson.
HotCopper Daily Market Trends Graphic

Monday’s HotCopper trends: Winsome, 4D Medical, and other daily topics | Dec 15

With more than seven million users on the HotCopper forums, every discussion and speculation can move Australian markets, which is why getting out in front
A dirt road running through the Antimony Canyon project in Utah.

American Tungsten and Antimony leaves ‘Trigg’ name behind to start next era (and set fresh focus)

American Tungsten and Antimony has entered a new era, leaving the name "Trigg Minerals" behind to…
The Market Online Video

How to manage money on the average Aussie income

This week on Money and Investing, Mitch Olarenshaw and I break down how to manage money on the average Australian income, using practical