The FTSE 100 rose 0.3% on Monday, marking a second straight session of gains. Among financials, HSBC advanced 1%, Barclays added 0.5%, and Standard Chartered climbed 2.8%. Oil majors also traded higher, with Shell up 0.8% and BP gaining 1%, while miners Rio Tinto and Glencore rose 1.3% and 1.6%, respectively.
Ithaca Energy was one of the strongest performers, rising 2.8% after reaching an agreement with Suncor to acquire a portfolio of conventional offshore oil assets in shallow waters off Newfoundland and Labrador for up to $1.1 billion. BT Group added 1.6% after completing its acquisition of TalkTalk out of administration on a debt-free basis.
Broader gains on the index were capped by weakness elsewhere. Private equity group 3i dropped 6%, while healthcare stocks underperformed, with AstraZeneca and GSK both declining by more than 1%.