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According to the Press Association, the FTSE was up by 4.6 points at 5,968.2 in morning trading, with shares in retailers making gains after fashion chain H&M met expectations with its latest earnings report.
Consumer goods firm Reckitt Benckiser was also on the rise after entering a tailspin yesterday, adding 34.5p to 3149.5p. The announcement of chief executive Bart Becht's retirement knocked £2 billion off the company's market value yesterday.
Ladbrokes was the morning's big winner, as shares in the bookmaker climbed by 5.75p to 140.65p following confirmation it was no longer in discussions with rival 888 over a possible takeover.
In a statement, Ladbrokes chief executive Richard Glynn claimed he had pulled out of the deal because it "was not in the interests of shareholders".
Posted by Clive Arneil
