Footsie was marginally in the blue over lunch despite expectations of a weak opening in the US.
The release of the minutes from the most recent meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) revealed that the MPC is still split 7-2 in favour of keeping interest rate policy unchanged.
The FTSE 100 was up 5 at 6,378, despite fags maker British American Tobacco (LON:BATS) proving to be a pain in the butt in the wake of its results.
The shares were off nearly 4% as the group was hit by pressure on smokers' disposable income and the slow recovery in Western Europe.
Supermarket stocks are under the cosh, still reeling from market research released this week that showed the heavy discounters gaining market share.
Results from GlaxoSmithKline (LON:GSK), released at noon, boosted the drugs firm’s share price 2.6%.
Third quarter core earnings per share were unchanged at 27.9p, but were up 5% on a constant exchange rate basis. Turnover fell 10%, or 3% after adjusting for exchange rates, to £5.646mln.
Integrated oil major Shell (LON:RDSB) announced a new discovery in deep water offshore Gabon where it is in partnership with the Chinese state oil company.
The Leopard-1 well has found a significant 200 metre gas column which is not sufficient to move the needle for a major like Shell, particularly while oil prices are subdued, but nonetheless it is a notable exploration success, but it seems to have been a boon for Ophir Energy’s (LON:OPHR) interests in the exploration frontier. Shares in the Africa-focused explorer, which drilled unsuccessfully offshore Gabon this year, gained some 2.9%.
In the market as a whole, Fitbug (LON:FITB), up over 280%, looks odds-on to be the best performing stock of the day.
The wearable technology group revealed its fitness tracking devices will be stocked by Sainsbury and huge US retailer Target.
Elsewhere in the AIM tech sector, ZOO Digital (LON:ZOO) was proving to be a big attraction. The shares rose 16% after the media production software specialist revealed revenues grew by more than 40% at the half-way point of the year, driven by a pick-up in subtitling work.
In the mining sector, W Resources (LON:WRES) jumped 20% as it revealed it had passed a “major milestone” in shipping 39 tonnes of tungsten concentrate in October from its La Parrilla tailings operation in Spain.
On the downside, Surgical Innovations (LON:SUN) lost more than a third of its stock market value after a review of the company’s business unearthed yet more exceptional charges that will have to be taken in this year’s results.
The review also identified revenues previously recognised on certain transactions where a sales return will be required in the company's full-year results. Current year revenues will be reduced by around £0.6 million as a result.