Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy. UK house prices dropped unexpectedly by 0.4% in December, according to the latest figures from the lender Nationwide Building Society . UK house prices ended 2025 on a softer note, with annual price growth slowing to 0.6%, from 1.8% in November, the slowest pace since April 2024. The high base for comparison can partly explain the slowdown (annual price growth was a solid 4.7% in December 2024), although prices fell by 0.4% month on month, after taking account of seasonal effects. 2025 was a record-breaking Christmas for Lidl – with more customers choosing to shop with us than ever before. By continuing to invest in low prices and champion British food, all without compromising on quality, we’ve seen loyalty soar. We remain the retailer that delivers the highest quality at the best price. 7.00am GMT: Nationwide house price index for 2025 9.00am GMT: Eurozone manufacturing PMI 9.30am GMT: UK manufacturing PMI 2.45pm GMT: US manufacturing PMI Continue reading...