BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks followed European peers higher on Tuesday as investors were encouraged by the ongoing trade talks between the U.S. and China in Beijing.
The British pound was little changed as a report showed British house prices surged unexpectedly in December and U.K. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay denied a report in the Telegraph that U.K. officials are 'putting out feelers' in Brussels about an extension to the Article 50 notice.
Ahead of a parliament vote next week on the Withdrawal Agreement, the Irish Prime Minister has said that the EU could give some further written reassurances on the Irish backstop.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 44 points or 0.65 percent at 6,854 in opening deals after closing 0.4 percent lower on Monday.
WM Morrison Supermarkets fell 3.7 percent after a disappointing trading update as it reported a sharp slowdown in sales growth at its stores over Christmas.
Safestore Holdings advanced 1.8 percent on reporting a rise in FY pretax profit.
Rolls- Royce Holding jumped 3.4 percent after Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has dropped its investigation of some individuals associated with the company.
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