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According to Reuters, the index was 0.9 per cent higher at 09:15 BST, increasing to 4,567.85 points.
Gains in the share prices of Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland, Standard Chartered, Lloyds Banking Group and HSBC aided the increase, with the banks climbing by between 1.1 per cent and 2.8 per cent.
Defensive stocks, such as British American Tobacco, Cadbury and Vodafone, saw share price increases, alongside energy firms BP, Tullow Oil and Royal Dutch Shell.
However, oil producer BG Group declined after posting a 31 per cent decrease in profits for the second quarter of 2009 and the mining sector was broadly weaker, with Rio Tinto, Antofagasta, BHP Billiton and Anglo American falling.
Cadbury's share price rise came on the back of the confectionary firm posting a 24 per cent increase in first-half underlying profit. The company also revealed a ten per cent rise in chocolate sales.
