UK equities opened higher after the US, and Iran said it would pause further attacks, easing geopolitical tensions and pushing oil prices lower.
The FTSE 100 rose 0.6% to 10,801.55, while the FTSE 250 gained 0.8% to 23,982.04.
AstraZeneca shares climbed 1.1% after the pharmaceuticals group reported stronger-than-expected half-year profits, supported by growth in cancer-drug sales.
Vodafone advanced 3.8% after upgrading its profit guidance.
In takeover news, DCC Energy agreed to a £5.75 billion acquisition by private equity groups KKR and Energy Capital Partners, marking another major London-listed company set to leave the stock market.
DCC shareholders will receive £65.25 in cash per share, alongside a proposed final dividend of 147.22p per share. They could also receive an additional payment of up to £1.25 per share if DCC sells its technology division for at least US$800 million.
The offer represents a 24% premium to DCC’s share price in late April, before the consortium submitted its initial approach.
