Stock markets have succumbed to profit-taking in the last week, but with investors prepared to move on from yesterday's weak figures on Japanese exports and Chinese manufacturing the FTSE 100 Index lifted 26.1 points to 5880.7.

New York-listed crude oil also rose back above 93 US dollars a barrel in a recovery from the big losses seen in recent days.

This helped nudge commodity-based stocks in the right direction, with Vedanta Resources up 36.5p at 1090.5p and Evraz 6.1p higher at 266.9p.

Banking stocks also fared well, with Lloyds Banking Group up 0.5p to 39.8p, Royal Bank of Scotland ahead 1.35p to 269.85p and Barclays 1.2p stronger at 223.3p.

Outside the top flight, HMV shares endured another tough session after it said like-for-like sales fell 11.6% in the 20 weeks to September 15.

While the rate of decline slowed towards the end of the period and it expects to benefit from a good line-up of new releases, shares were 0.35p lower at 2.7p, a fall of 12% and valuing the company at just £12 million.

Seymour Pierce analyst Kate Calvert kept her sell recommendation on the stock and predicted no let up in the structural pressures on the business from online or the supermarkets.