UK housebuilder stocks surged up to 13% after Halifax data showed March house prices fell 0.5% but remained 0.8% YoY.
Vistry Group led gains (+12.8%), followed by Crest Nicholson (+11.4%), Persimmon (+9%) and Barratt Redrow (+8.7%).
UK home sales rose 5.6% in February to 102,410 and mortgage approvals up 3.9% to 62,584, indicating demand resilience.
Five‑year fixed mortgage rates for first‑time buyers climbed from ~4.2% (late‑2025) to over 5.2% now, tightening affordability.