Weakness among mining and oil stocks failed to prevent the FTSE 100 Index from creeping back towards the 7000 barrier today.
The top flight was 21.1 points higher at 6994.2 following a week in which investors have been focused on the potential for higher borrowing costs following a period of turbulence in bond markets.
ITV was one of the session’s big gainers as shares put back losses seen after a trading update yesterday. Positive broker comment helped the recovery as shares lifted by nearly 2%, up 4.5p to 261.85p.
Other notable risers included B&Q owner Kingfisher, which was 7.5p stronger at 360.1p, and car insurer Admiral with a gain of 21p to 1487p.
Weakness in the commodity sector following a drop in the Brent crude oil price to below 60 US dollars a barrel meant Royal Dutch Shell fell 8p to 2047p and BP dipped 1.5p to 455.4p.
In the FTSE 250 Index, Premier Oil fell 4.6p to 178.4p, a drop of 2%.
Elsewhere, shares in SABMiller were 29p higher at 3629p after it announced a deal to buy Greenwich-based craft brewer Meantime Brewing Company.
The company said the acquisition would give the company an entry into the fastest-growing segment of the UK beer market.