UK's FTSE 100 edged higher on Monday, buoyed by energy firms and miners, though concerns about slowing economic growth kept investors on edge after major central banks stuck to their hawkish monetary policy stance last week.
The export-oriented FTSE 100 climbed 0.5% by 0820 GMT, while the domestically focussed FTSE 250 rose 0.2%.
Energy firms (.FTNMX601010) and miners (.FTNMX551020) added 2.5% and 0.8%, respectively, tracking upbeat oil and copper prices as loosening COVID curbs in top-consumer China aided demand recovery hopes.
However, pharmaceutical firms (.FTNMX201030) dropped 0.4%, bogged down by AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) 0.5% fall after its lung cancer drug failed in a late-stage trial.
