DATA SNAP: UK Halifax Jul House Prices +1.1% MM, -12.1%YY

LONDON -- U.K. house prices rose for the second time in three months in July, while the annual decline continued to ease and was the smallest drop in almost a year, lender Lloyds Banking Group said Wednesday.

According to HBOS, now owned by Lloyds, the Halifax house price index in July rose 1.1% from June and was 12.1% lower than a year earlier. That compares with a 0.5% month-on-month fall and a drop of 15.0% on the year in June.

Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast the index would rise 1.0% on the month and fall 12.2% on the year.

"So far this year, house prices have fallen less than 1%," said Martin Ellis, Halifax's housing economist. "Higher demand has combined with the low levels of property available for sale to boost sales activity from exceptionally low levels and support prices over the past few months," he said.