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Construction companies are facing fresh calls from the City to link up or go private after the announcements of mergers at Beazer and Bryant and Wimpey and McLean.

Beazer and Bryant plan to create a 拢760m housebuilder, called Domus, and Wimpey Homes is cutting 250 jobs by integrating its operation with sister company McLean Homes (15 December, page 17).

The two deals promise to reap savings of 拢20m and 拢15m respectively, convincing City experts that the arguments for consolidation are stronger than ever.

Mike Betts, construction analyst at JP Morgan said: "There will almost certainly be more mergers now. Putting Wimpey and McLean together has shown the cost saving potential to the City."

However a leading analyst warned that any company, regardless of size, would find it hard to attract the largest pension funds. "Domus is an 拢800m company but it's still too small," he said. "Large investors want companies with a market worth of 拢2bn-plus."

One fund manager confirmed this view. "There are too many companies in this sector, their valuations are too low and there is not enough liquidity in their shares," he said.

Putting Wimpey and McLean together has shown the cost saving potential to the City

Mike Betts, JP Morgan

After a spate of consolidation in the summer of 2000, which included the merger of Galliford and Try and several buyouts by small housebuilders, corporate activity among builders appeared to have tailed off in recent months. Now the Wimpey and Beazer deals have brought renewed pressure for competitors to follow suit.

Several companies, including Taylor Woodrow, have expressed a desire to take part in further consolidation. Adrian Euer, Taywood's finance director, said: "We would like to increase the size of our UK housing business and if there are opportunities to do that which add to shareholder value then we'll do it."

Other construction bosses known to be keen to acquire, be acquired, or merge, are Oliver Whitehead, chief executive of Alfred McAlpine and John Morgan, executive chairman of Morgan Sindall.

However, one analyst warned that those businesses that still have contracting and housebuilding arms may be forced to sell their contracting businesses in order to find a partner. Mike Foster, analyst at Granville Baird, said: "Having a mix of contracting and housebuilding is out of fashion. After Laing's decision to dispose of its construction arm, we are going to see pressure on contractor housebuilders to tidy up their operations if they are going to participate in mergers."

Analysts predict that City pressure for consolidation will increase still further if the sector's recent stock market rally tails off.