London stocks opened higher on Monday, with the FTSE 100 climbing 0.2% to 9,738.46, the FTSE 250 edging up 0.1% to 22,187.34, and the AIM All-Share rising 0.2% to 773.79.
Investors are bracing for a key Bank of England decision and a wave of earnings later in the week.
Softer inflation data has made the decision more finely balanced, with some analysts warning that a quarter-point rate cut cannot be ruled out.
In New York on Friday, Wall Street finished modestly higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.1%, the S&P 500 up 0.3% and the Nasdaq Composite up 0.6%.
Author's summary: FTSE rises ahead of BoE decision.