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UK stocks opened higher on Wednesday as US lawmakers moved closer to agreeing on a new stimulus package for the world's biggest economy.
Local investors also were holding out hope that the UK and EU could agree on a post-Brexit trade deal before the transition period ends on 1 January.
At 0830, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 59.9 points, or 0.9%, at 6,573.22.
Distribution and services group Bunzl dropped 5.4% to £23.43 on guiding for a fall in revenue in 2021 as sales of Covid-19-related products such as gloves continued to slow.
Bunzl's revenue for the current year through December 2020 was seen rising 8%, or by 9% on a constant currency basis.
Mining group Rio Into climbed 0.5% to £23.43 after it pegged the cost of its Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia at $6.75 billion, with production expected to commence in October 2022.
Builders' merchant Travis Perkins firmed 4.4% to £13.56, even as its sales had slipped 3.3% in October and November.
However, Travis Perkins' like-for-like sales, which stripped out the impact of store closures and disposals, had jumped 8.6% over the same period amid robust DIY-sector demand.
Fashion retailer Superdry rose 4.2% to 250.2p after it announced that chairman Peter Williams would stand down next year and that co-founder Julian Dunkerton had become its chief executive on a permanent basis.
Dunkerton, who had been leading on an interim basis following last year's boardroom coup, would be supported by the appointment of former Nike and Vans executive Silvana Bonello as chief operating officer.
Electrical goods retailer Dixons Carphone jumped 9.4% to 118.8p, having swung to a first-half profit as strong online sales offset the impact of pandemic-related store closures.
Dixon's nevertheless stuck to its full-year guidance for 'slightly worse' operating losses.
Oil services company Petrofac shed 1.7% to 169.95p as it lifted its cost cutting target while reiterating guidance for 'materially lower' profits in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic smashed crude markets.
Petrofac's revenue for the year through December was expected to be around $4.0 billion, down from $5.53 billion reported for 2019. Costs would be slashed by around $125 million in 2020, and around $250 million in 2021.
Oil company Premier Oil gained 1.8% to 22.3p on announcing that it was on track to meet its annual production guidance, while forecasting a broadly flat to slightly higher output performance in 2021.
Premier Oil also said shareholders would vote on its planned acquisition by Chrysaor on 12 January, ahead of the combined group being renamed as Harbour Energy if the deal is approved.
Computer products maker Concurrent Technologies jumped 15% to 110.9p as it guided for annual revenues and profitability ahead of market expectations.
Maintenance building products company Epwin rallied 9.8% to 97.8p, having upgraded its outlook on profit following better-than-expected performance since reporting half-year results in September.