UK stock markets edged higher on Monday as more firms rolled out measures to weather the coronavirus crisis in what could be the worst earnings season for European companies since the 2008 financial crisis.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index shed opening losses to trade 0.3% higher, boosted by shares of British American Tobacco, Unilever Plc and AstraZeneca.
The domestically focused FTSE 250 index gained 0.3%. Shares in Aston Martin rose 3% after new boss Lawrence Stroll said the company's immediate focus will be restarting manufacturing and launching production of its first sport utility vehicle.
Sofa retailer DFS Furniture surged 11% after revealing plans to issue equity of up to 19.9% of its existing share capital and negotiate an additional debt facility to get it through the coronavirus crisis.
The FTSE 100 has recovered about 18% from its early March lows due to a raft of stimulus measures by policymakers globally, but is still down more than 24% from its January peak.
Property website Rightmove said it was unable to provide meaningful house price data due to a collapse in the number of new homes being listed for sale. Shares in housebuilders Barratt Development, Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon were down between 2% and 2.6%.
Online trading platform Plus500 slipped 1.3% after announcing Chief Executive Officer Asaf Elimelech would step down. Mr Kipling cakes maker Premier Foods surged 16.4% after it forecast annual trading profit to be at the top end of market expectations, fuelled by a short-term peak in volumes in March.
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