Aldi was this morning toasting the rewards of bumper Christmas sales, heaping pressure on its big-name rivals at the start of a busy week of festive trading updates.

The German discounter, which continues to win market share from the big four grocers, said it had its best ever Christmas trading period, reporting sales of nearly £1 billion for the month of December. It highlighted strong demand for its premium ranges and the benefits of consumers switching from other grocers.

The update from Aldi comes at the start of a busy week for the sector, with Marks & Spencer, Morrisons and Tesco all due to report on festive trading in the coming days.

In oil and gas, Bowleven has cheered investors by announcing a special dividend worth £50 million, or 15p per ordinary share. The company said move, which sent shares surging by nearly 20 per cent in morning trading, follows a success of two-well drilling campaign off Cameroon in October.

Shares in Dunelm leapt more than 12 per cent in morning trading after it indicated a positive outlook for the financial year, despite Brexit uncertainty. Sales improved in the second quarter as the homeware company refocused on its core business.