The FTSE 100 eked out a 0.5% gain in the final session of the week after four consecutive days of losses.
London’s blue-chip index closed up 28.48 points at 6,105.18, struggling to shake off fears of a second wave of Covid-19 as the UK and other countries reopen their economies.
The French Cac 40 index also rose by 0.5% but the German Dax was 0.2% lower. In the US, the Dow Jones was up 2.% by the London market close despite a raft of states reporting an increase in Covid-19 cases.
The pound fell slightly against the dollar, to $1.25, while Brent crude oil was up 1.28% at $38.81, as of 5.45pm.
Among stocks, hospitality group Mitchells & Butlers was up nearly 5.5% at £2.12 after it said it had secured an extra £100 million in funding from its banks in advance of reopening its pubs.
Joshua Mahony, senior market analyst at online trading platform IG, said: “We appear to be shifting from a phase where everyone looks towards the reopening as a cause for optimism to one where we begin to refocus on Covid case numbers with trepidation.
“We are certainly likely to see volatility and market sensitivity pick up in the coming weeks as Covid cases roll in.”