BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks held steady on Friday as investors awaited the all-important U.S. jobs report later in the day for directional cues.
In economic releases, U.K. house price inflation accelerated sharply at the end of 2021, but the pace is set to slow this year amid expectations of further interest rate hikes and increasing pressures on household budgets, results of a survey by the Lloyds Bank subsidiary Halifax and IHS Markit showed.
The house price index rose 9.8 percent year-on-year following an 8.2 percent increase in November, Halifax said. The latest house price inflation figure was the highest since July 2007.
Compared to the previous month, house prices rose 1.1 percent, same as in November. The benchmark FTSE 100 was little changed at 7,455 after declining 0.9 percent on Thursday.
Shipping firm Clarkson jumped 4.1 percent after announcing its trading during the month of December was stronger than anticipated.
Aston Martin Lagonda rallied 3 percent. The luxury vehicles company said it had begun shipping its £2 million-plus Valkyrie hypercar to customers following delays as it updated investors on its financial fortunes.
Plastic and fiber product supplier Essentra rose about 1 percent after saying that it expects to report results.
Oil & gas company Royal Dutch Shell gained 0.7 percent after issuing an update to the fourth quarter 2021 outlook.
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