Shares beat property in profits race - papers

House prices have nearly quadrupled in real terms over the past half century, with the strongest growth seen in the past decade, says a study published by Halifax last week.

However, shares have performed even better than property if dividends are included, which will have implications for millions of people relying on their homes to fund their retirement, according to The Times. In 1959, the average house cost £2,507 (about £43,000 in today's money), compared with £162,085 in 2009 - a rise of 273% after inflation or an average annual real return of 2.7%, according to Halifax. By contrast, shares have returned 1,180% after inflation over the past 50 years, giving an average annual real return of 5.2%, according to Barclays Capital. It has been monitoring ...