Britain's leading shares gained 1.1 percent in early trade on Monday, rallying following a sharp decline on Friday, with commodity issues heading the bounce back as crude and metal prices recovered.
By 0900 GMT, the FTSE 100 index was 54.71 points higher at 5,115.63, after closing 78.39 points, or 1.5 percent lower on Friday.
There was a stronger FTSE opening, although it did not recuperate all its losses from the last session, said Arifa Sheikh-Usmani, an equity trader with Spreadex.
"The dollar has retreated slightly … which has prompted a small relief rally in commodities and hence the mining sector," Sheikh-Usmani said.
Miners found support from firmer metal prices as the dollar retreated and after some reassuring results from both Randgold Resources and Xstrata.
Randgold was the top FTSE 100 riser, up 5.0 percent as the gold miner said its full-year profit jumped 79 percent and it brought forward the expected start up of production from the Kibali project to January 2014.
Xstrata added 3.3 percent as it reinstated dividends citing an encouraging outlook for commodities demand in the medium term after posting an expected 41 percent fall in 2009 profit on weaker metals prices.
Other miners also dominated on the blue chip leaders board, with Lonmin, Kazakhmys, Eurasian Natural Resources, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Anglo American up 1.9 to 2.8 percent.
Oil issues also provided strength for the blue chips helped by a firmer crude price, with BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Tullow Oil up 0.4 to 1.3 percent.
But BG Group missed out, losing 0.4 percent as Barclays Capital cut its rating to "equal-weight" following results on Friday, while Cairn Energy shed 1.7 percent.
Among some individual blue chip gainers, International Power took on 4.4 percent after a report in the Independent on Sunday said France's GDF Suez is mulling a revised offer for the British power generator, including a cash element.
ICAP recovered 3.8 percent after Friday's profit warning plunge, helped by a Credit Suisse upgrade to "outperform", with the broker calling the falls "overdone".
And medical products firm Smith & Nephew added 2.2 percent after UBS upgraded its rating on the stock to "buy".
BANKS BRIGHTER
Banks were higher as worries over eurozone debt problems eased, with HSBC, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland adding 0.6 to 1.3 percent.
European finance ministers tried to assure their counterparts in the G7 that the eurozone's debt crisis is under control. They said they would make sure that Greece sticks with its budget cutting plans.
"Talk of an imminent rescue package for Greece by the EU will give some stability to the markets but contagion fears have still not been completely banished," said Sheikh-Usmani.
Banks also got support from reports that Spain's Santander is investigating a plan to list its British businesses that would value the operations at 15 billion pounds ($23.6 billion), according to the Sunday Times.
However, Lloyds Banking Group missed out on the gains, and fell 0.5 percent. The bank is in talks with private equity firms interested in buying a controlling stake in its Integrated Finance unit, according to the Mail on Sunday.
Among other blue chip fallers, chip designer ARM Holdings fell 0.5 percent as the stock made its FTSE 100 debut, having replaced Cadbury at the close on Friday.
Wednesday's Bank of England Inflation Report will be the week's main focus in terms of UK economic data this week, with nothing significant scheduled for release on Monday.
