The FTSE 100 recovered some lost ground in early Wednesday trade with investors now eyeing the US inflation print this afternoon as the next big test for markets.
The CPI reading will be an important one for the Fed ahead of its interest rate decision next week.
An hour into trade, the FTSE was up close to half a percent at 8,534.
Aerospace groups Melrose and Rolls-Royce were topping the leaderboard, along with miners and banks.
Leading gainers on the FTSE 250 mid-cap index, shares in Hill & Smith Holdings are up more than 13%.
The maker of galvanised steel for road barriers, fences and other transport infrastructure reported earnings that beat forecasts by around 4%.
Meanwhile, Legal & General has unveiled a 5% dividend hike and a £500 million share buyback, though profits for last year were very slightly below expectations.
