Investing.com - House prices in the U.K. rose more than expected in December, easing concerns over the health of the housing market, industry data showed on Thursday.
In a report, the Halifax Bank of Scotland said its House Price Index rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.9% last month, above expectations for a 0.3% increase.
U.K. house prices increased 0.5% in November, upwardly revised from a previously reported gain of 0.4%.
House prices in the three months to December were 7.8% higher than in the same three months a year earlier, above forecasts for a 7.6% gain and slowing from an increase of 8.1% in November.
GBP/USD was trading at 1.5070 from around 1.5072 ahead of the announcement, while EUR/GBP was at 0.7842 from 0.7844 earlier.
Meanwhile, European stock markets were broadly higher after the open. London’s FTSE 100 jumped 1.4%, the EURO STOXX 50 rallied 1.8%, France’s CAC 40 advanced 1.8%, while Germany's DAX surged 1.35%.