UK house prices fell heavily in December, according to mortgage lender Nationwide. Fionnuala Earley from Nationwide Building Society discusses the 2.5% fall and what it indicates about the country's housing market for 2009.

Fiscal stimulus, falling interest rates, corporate deleveraging, lower inflation and oil prices are all major positive factors for the year ahead, John Haynes from Rensburg Sheppards told CNBC Tuesday.

The private equity industry has been through a tough year in 2008 as the availability of credit has all but dried up. Patrick Dunne, director of 3i, spoke to CNBC about the outlook.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is under pressure at home and abroad to do more to lift Germany out of recession. Charles Dumas from Lombard Street Research has more.

The dollar looks set to recover further against the yen throughout the week, Max Knudsen, director of PIA - First.com told CNBC Monday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel met with German ministers, business executives and labor leaders Sunday to discuss a second stimulus package worth up to $64 billion. Stefan Bielmeier from Deutsche Bank has more.