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The FTSE 100 remained firmly higher at lunchtime on Monday amid better than expected news on the UK services sector, with a PMI reading which came in ahead of forecasts.
At midday the index of leading UK shares was up 0.7% to 5,942.14. Pubs groups were in demand as the services figures showed signs of resilience in the hospitality sector while housebuilders enjoyed a boost amid reports of Government plans to help people get on the housing ladder.
Amid continuing speculation over the health of president Donald Trump and the fate of a big stimulus package across the Atlantic, US futures pointed to a strong open on Wall Street.
Cinema group Cineworld plunged 37% to 24.8p, paring earlier heavier losses, on announcing that it would temporarily suspend operations in the US and UK from 8 October, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cineworld said it would provide guidance for when it might reopen when 'key markets have more concrete guidance on their reopening status and, in turn, studios are able to bring their pipeline of major releases back to the big screen'.
Engineering company Weir rallied 18.1% to £15.11, having agreed to sell its oil and gas division to Caterpillar for $405 million (£314 million), including debt.
The move came after Weir announced in February that it was seeking to maximise value from the division, which had been hit by a slump in oil prices. The company would now focus on the mining sector.
Convenience foods manufacturer Greencore slumped 8.3% to 93.4p after it guided for lower annual earnings amid a 14% drop in sales.
On a more positive note, Greencore said sales were on an improving trend, though were still down 19% in the fourth quarter year-on-year.
Budget carrier Wizz Air ascended 0.6% to £31.86 despite flying 58.9% less passengers during the month of September year-on-year, as the pandemic continued to put pressure on travel markets.
Self-storage group Big Yellow softened 0.1% to £10.34, even as it secured planning consent for a £52 million facility in Kings Cross, London.
Demolition of the existing site would commence in January and it was expected that the store, which contained a double basement, would open in Spring 2023.
Quality assurance group Intertek fell 1.1% to £63.72 following news that it had appointed Jonathan Timmis, currently chief financial officer of Reckitt Benckiser's health division, as its CFO effective 1 April.
Current CFO Ross McCluskey would be appointed to a new operational role from that date.
Luxury handbag maker Mulberry shed 7.8% to 153p as it posted a deeper annual loss and scrapped its dividend after the Covid-19 crisis worsened existing pressure on sales.
Mulberry said the start of the current financial period was ahead of its early expectations and that it expected its losses to narrow this year.