In company news, merchant bank Close Brothers warned it expects to set aside up to £165 million in its first half to cover possible costs around the car loans commission scandal.
But the biggest rise in value came from insurance giant Prudential, after it said it is considering spinning off its Indian asset management arm.
The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Prudential, up 39.4p to 722p, Entain, up 36p to 696p, Barratt Redrow, up 23.1p to 460.1p, Croda, up 81p to 3131p, and Kingfisher, up 6.3p to 252.8p.
The lender said the estimate follows a “thorough assessment” of developments in the saga, but warned there remains “significant uncertainty” over the outcome of appeals and an ongoing review by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Most of the FTSE’s biggest names rose in value on Wednesday, with AstraZeneca and BP among those making gains.
