The wider FTSE 100 Index was 20.9 points higher at 6275.5 in thin trading volumes following the Christmas break.
Flood-hit insurers were bucking the market gains, with warnings for more disruption in Cumbria and southern and central Scotland as Storm Frank threatens to bring more misery.
RSA fell 2%, or 8.2p, to 422.8p, Aviva was 2.8p lower at 516.3p and Direct Line Insurance lost 1.1p to 409.6p.
Wider market gains came despite another poor session for miners and oil giants as the commodity price rout showed little sign of easing.
The cost of benchmark Brent oil stood at 36.65 US dollars a barrel having stabilised after recent falls, but still remains close to an 11-year low hit earlier this month.
BP was 2% off, down 7.6p to 358.3p, while Royal Dutch Shell fell 11.5p to 1559.5p.
Worries over China’s economic slowdown continued to weigh heavy on mining stocks, with Anglo American leading the FTSE 100 falls – down 5%, or 16p, to 312.1p.
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