Pharmaceutical and medical companies are in demand as investors seek defensive stocks amid continued worries about the eurozone.
Shire is leading the FTSE 100 risers, up 14p at £18.28, closely followed by Smith and Nephew, up 5p at 691p, GlaxoSmithKline, 10p better at £14.47, and AstraZeneca, adding 10.5p to 1447.5p.
Primark-owner Associated British Foods is also among the risers, up 3p to £12.95, as is British Gas business Centrica, 1p better at 338.2p.
Overall though the picture is one of nervousness, ahead of any Spanish bailout. The FTSE 100 is down 26.59 points at 5826.03, not helped by signs of discord over the weekend between France and Germany about future plans for the eurozone. Greece continues to be a concern, with France's proposal to allow the country more time to fix its problems getting short shrift elsewhere.
With JP Morgan Cazenove suggesting investors take profits after recent gains, the mining sector continues to be under the cosh. Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation is down 16.1p at 328.4p while Fresnillo has fallen 63p to £17.70.
