The FTSE 100 is currently projected to rise marginally in early trade today after dropping 0.3% on Monday.
Engineering company Smiths Group (LON:SMIN) emerged atop the leaderboard with a 7.7% gain.
Technology and engineering company GKN (LON:GKN) and medical devices manufacturer Smith & Nephew (LON:SN) followed, rising 3.5%.
Outsourcer Capita Group (LON:CPI) and tour operator TUI Travel (LON:TT) followed, climbing 2.9% and 2.1% respectively.
Mobile operator Vodafone (LON:VOD) and quality and safety services company Intertek (LON:ITRK) added nearly 2%.
Software developer Autonomy Corporation (LON:AU) was at the bottom of the pile with a 5.1% decline.
Silver miner Fresnillo (LON:FRES) and chipmaker ARM Holdings (LON:ARM) lost 3.6% and 3% respectively.
Engineering company Weir Group (LON:WEIR) shed 2.8%.
US markets were closed for the Martin Luther King Day yesterday.
In Asia, China's Shnaghai Composite Index and Japan's Nikkei 225 rose marginally, Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.5% and South Korea's KOSPI posted a small loss.
Commodities
US light, sweet crude for February delivery, which is currently the most actively traded contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), last traded at US$91.11/barrel.
Gold rose to US$1,365/oz. Silver and platinum reached US$28.43/oz and US$1,811/oz respectively.
Base metals followed. Copper and nickel advanced to US$4.39/lb and US$11.73/lb. Zinc stood at US$1.098/lb.
Today’s macroeconomic data will include the ABC News’ consumer confidence survey, the Empire State index and the UK’#s retail price and consumer price indexes.