FTSE 100 index opens higher on Associated British Foods, EasyJet and pharmaceuticals

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The FTSE 100 index opened up this morning, boosted by gains from EasyJet and Berkeley Group.

The index was 0.53 per cent up at 6,271 points when the market opened.

Primark owner Associated British Foods was 1.31 per cent higher at 3,530.5p per share, while Berkeley Group was 1.22 per cent up at 3,643p per share.

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Associated British Foods had its "neutral" stock rating reaffirmed by analysts at Nomura, according to AnalystRatingsNetwork.com.

Meanwhile, EasyJet traded 1.19 per cent higher at 1,697p per share, extending gains it made on Friday after prospects of a longer period of cost savings from lower fuel prices became more likely.

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Pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca were also trading higher, up 1.25 per cent to 1,335.5p per share and 1.18 per cent to 4,494p per share respectively. Hikma Pharmaceuticals' share price also rose 1.34 per cent to 2,188p.

Meanwhile BP and Royal Dutch Shell led the fallers on the FTSE 100, opening 2.06 per cent down at 352.23p per share and 1.59 per cent to 1,574p per share.