On the macro front, US mortgage applications surged 9.4% in the week ended 4 July, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, extending the prior week's 2.7% increase.
Source: Sharecast
Applications to refinance a mortgage and applications to purchase a home both rose 9% week-on-week.
The increase marked a third consecutive weekly growth in applications, the longest streak since December, and came as benchmark mortgage rates dropped to their lowest level since April.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
If you're looking to grow your money over the longer term (5+ years), we have a range of investment choices to help.
Halifax is not responsible for the content and accuracy of the Markets News articles. We may not share the views of the author. Understand the risks, please remember the value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invest. We don't provide advice so if you are in any doubt about buying and selling shares or making your own investment decisions we recommend you seek advice from a suitably qualified Financial Advisor. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.