▁Stock ▁Exchange ▁and ▁is ▁a ▁constitu ent ▁of ▁the ▁F T SE ▁ 2 5 0 ▁Index . ▁ ▁History ▁John ▁Mc Car thy ▁and ▁Bill ▁Stone ▁became ▁partners ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁they ▁built ▁their ▁first ▁ret irement ▁housing ▁development ▁in ▁Ham pshire . ▁Sub sequently ▁they ▁ceased ▁other ▁building ▁work ▁to ▁concent rate ▁on ▁developing ▁special ist ▁housing ▁for ▁elder ly ▁people . ▁By ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁when ▁the ▁company ▁was ▁flo ated ▁on ▁the ▁Un list ed ▁Sec ur ities ▁Market , ▁Mc Car thy ▁& ▁Stone ▁had ▁completed ▁ 1 5 ▁ret irement ▁housing ▁develop ments ▁and ▁was ▁s elling ▁around ▁ 2 0 0 ▁units ▁a ▁year . ▁G row th ▁was ▁rapid ▁after ▁the ▁fl ot ation , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁the ▁company ▁operated ▁on ▁a ▁national ▁basis ▁with ▁annual ▁sales ▁approaching ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁units . ▁The ▁business ▁was ▁exception ally ▁prof itable ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁rapidly ▁age ing ▁population . ▁Ann ual ▁sales ▁reached ▁ 2 , 6 0 1 ▁units ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁ <0x09> ▁Mc Car thy ▁& ▁Stone ▁was ▁de - list ed ▁from ▁the ▁London ▁Stock ▁Exchange ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁following ▁a ▁successful ▁take over ▁bid ▁of ▁over ▁£ 1 ▁billion ▁from ▁a ▁cons ort ium ▁including ▁David ▁and ▁Simon ▁Re uben ▁and ▁Sir ▁Tom ▁Hunter . ▁The ▁company ▁was ▁ref in anced