FTSE 100 climbed again after its record-breaking last week, though all eyes will be on the inauguration of President Donald Trump with US markets shut for Martin Luther King Day.
To celebrate, incoming US First Lady Melania has launched a cryptocurrency, $Melania which came shortly after the President-elect unveiled the $Trump meme coin.
In London, Footsie was up eight points to reach 8,513 in early trades with housebuilders, dollar earners and gold miners to the fore.
Persimmon again led the builders higher as Rightmove reported the biggest monthly jump in house prices for five years.
A record number of new houses came to market on Boxing Day, added the online estate agent.
Mirror owner Reach had mixed news with trading ahead of market forecasts but the media group has found a £5 million black hole in an acquired pension scheme.
Finally, TikTok has resumed services for its 170 million US users after Trump announced plans to delay a recently enacted ban on the app.
