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At 09:00 GMT, the index was up 0.6 per cent to 5298.35 points, having finished 1.4 per cent lower yesterday as mining stocks dragged the index down.
This sector began the day better, as there were climbs for Xstrata, Rio Tinto, Fresnillo and Anglo American, as well as Antofagasta and Vedanta Resources.
Gains made by SABMiller yesterday after it announced financial results continued, while British American Tobacco and Imperial tobacco also recorded further increases.
And shares were higher among banks, Lloyds Banking Group, Standard Chartered, Barclays and HSBC recording gains of up to 0.7 per cent.
There were some retreats, however, with Thomas Cook dropping four per cent after Morgan Stanley downgraded its rating.
This made it the biggest faller on the FTSE early in the morning session.
Posted by Chris Weaver
