U.K. equities saw modest gains on Monday as anticipation built for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's administration to unveil its inaugural budget on Wednesday, alongside the upcoming release of the influential U.S. monthly employment figures on Friday.
Leading up to the budget announcement, a survey indicated that business confidence in the U.K. had declined to its lowest level in four months during October.
The FTSE 100 index experienced a slight increase, edging up 12 points, or 0.1 percent, to reach 8,261, recovering after a 0.3 percent decline on Friday.
Energy sector stocks encountered downward pressure, with BP Plc experiencing a 1.7 percent decrease and Shell dropping over 2 percent. This downturn was attributed to a sharp decline in crude oil prices, which hit four-week lows as concerns over potential conflict in the Middle East eased.
Investors were reassured after Israeli military actions over the weekend did not impact Iran's oil facilities, an OPEC member nation.
