BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks rose on Monday and the pound held steady against the euro as MPs meet Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay to discuss an alternative arrangement to the Irish backstop.
Meanwhile, U.K. construction activity hit a 10-month low in January amid Brexit uncertainty, the latest survey report from Markit Economics showed today.
Investors awaited further developments on the U.S.-China trade dispute following meetings in Washington last week.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 19 points or 0.27 percent at 7,039 in opening deals after climbing 0.7 percent on Friday.
Budget carrier Flybe Group soared over 11 percent after it agreed to demand from its largest shareholder to call a general meeting in aid of removing chairman Simon Laffin.
Miner and commodities trade Glencore dropped 1 percent on reports that it is nearing a $500 million deal to buy iron ore from Brazil's Companhia Siderurgica Nacional.
Anglo American shed 0.9 percent. India's Vedanta said that its foreign unit Cairn India Holdings' investment in Anglo American Plc met all governance requirements.
Low-cost airline Ryanair Holdings slumped 4.7 percent after it posted a Q3 loss on higher revenues.
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