Stock markets rise, housing markets improve

Stocks started the week positively, with markets in the US, Europe and Asia all rising. Japan's Nikkei 225 in particular jumped 2.7 percent.

Notwithstanding the recent volatility, stock markets have mostly been rising, as have housing markets.

Indeed, in the US, a report on Monday showed that confidence among homebuilders surged in June. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo housing market index rose to 52 this month from 44 in May, the biggest monthly increase since September 2002.

In the UK, home asking prices rose 1.2 percent in June, according to a report by Rightmove on Monday. It was the sixth consecutive monthly increase and pushed average values above 250,000 pounds for the first time.

And Reuters reports on Tuesday that new home prices in China rose 0.9 percent in May, based on data released by the government. The government data showed that prices rose in 69 of the 70 cities tracked by the government.