The London market shrugged off a downbeat Asian session on Wednesday, instead taking its cue from a strong showing on Wall Street.
The FTSE 100 Index rose 61.57 points to 5923 in early trading after the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 223 points ahead at 16,196.
Overnight, Japan's Nikkei finished the session 218 points adrift as data showed machine orders from overseas continued to decline at the end of last year.
The survey suggested they would also keep falling in the first quarter of 2016, which Daiwa Capital Markets said supported its view that net trade will likely drag moderately on growth during coming quarters.
In the UK, official data showed the employment rate continuing to hit new highs and more job vacancies becoming available than ever previously recorded.
But earnings growth remained subdued and markedly below the recent peak of mid-2015.
In equity markets, oil majors were up after the price of a barrel of Brent crude rose 1% to US$32.5 and US light crude gained 0.7% to US$29.25.
BP (LON:BP.) spurted 1.3p to 338.7p and Royal Dutch Shell (LON:RDSB) put on 12.5p to 1577p.
Financial trading group Plus500 (LON:PLUS) ticked up 22.5p to 532.5p as it recovered from last year's disruption caused by regulatory concerns about its anti-money laundering checks on new customers in the UK.
AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) was 64p healthier at 4248p as it received Food & Drug Administration "breakthrough therapy" status for its bladder cancer treatment durvalumab.
Elsewhere, Kibo Mining (LON:KIBO) shed 0.12p to 4.12p as it said a study had shown coal from its Mbeya resource in Tanzania could be used in a fluidised bed coal power station, although it did not demonstrate whether the coal would suit the technical specifications of its coal-to-power project.
Norcon (LON:NCON) advanced 0.5p to 12.75p on news that the telecoms consultant turned a profit in 2015, despite making a loss in the first half of the year.
Metminco (LON:MNC) started to drill the TD2 Target at its Los Calatos copper deposit in southern Peru, boosting its shares by 0.02p, or 12.9%, to 0.18p
MARKET PREVIEW
Modest gains are predicted for the FTSE 100 after a strong performance in the US was tempered by more heavy falls in Asia.
Financial spread bet firms see the London blue chip index opening around 15 points higher to add to a decent performance Tuesday.
The Footsie, though, was the only European index to make headway on a day dominated again by oil.
Early hopes of some stability after an agreement to freeze output by Russia and Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest producers, and other members of OPEC had dissipated by the close of US trading.
Goldman Sachs said a freeze at the January production rates would still leave a surplus in the first half of 2016, while Iran is unlikely to agree anyway.
Light crude prices dipped back to just above US$29 per barrel.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 222 points higher nonetheless, although Japan and Hong Kong both gave up ground.
The Nikkei in Tokyo had shed almost 1.5% near the close and the Hang Seng 1%.
News today will be dominated lasted by the minutes of the last US Federal reserve meeting.
And after the market volatility caused by Fed chair Janet Yellen’s testimony last week, these will be scrutinised in detail to determine if there is a change in mood at the US central bank.
Spread betting firm Plus500 is one the few corporate updates scheduled.