The FTSE 100 is struggling for direction, down a handful of points at 7,345.88 as the fall-out from last week's US strikes in Syria continues.
Banking group Barclays (BARC) dips 0.6% to 214p as its chief executive Jes Staley is issued with a formal written reprimand by his employers for his attempts to identify a secret whistleblower within the company. Staley is to have his bonus cut and details are being passed to the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority.
Reports suggest Hong Kong billionaire Samuel Tak Lee is targeting a takeover of London landlord Shaftesbury (SHB) after acquiring £500m worth of shares. The real estate investment trust (REIT), which owns Carnaby Street as well as parts of Chinatown and Soho, is up 5.5% to 969p.
Top of the FTSE 100 leaderboard is resources giant BHP Billiton (BLT) as activist investor Elliot Management, which has a 4.1% stake, urged a further restructuring of its operations which it says could lead to a 50% uplift in its valuation.
Gold mining stock Randgold Resources (RRS) is the top faller on the index, down 2.1% to £72.55 as gold prices reverse some of the gains made on rising tensions over Syria.
Fellow gold miner Highland Gold (HGM) dips 1.4% to 181p despite full year results revealing a swing into net profit of $47m. Production for 2016 is slightly lower year-on-year.
A number of AIM-quoted resources stocks are also in focus having delivered positive news. Mineral & Financial Investments (MAFL:AIM) gains 23% to 18.75p as it reports encouraging results from the first hole of a drill programme being executed by its 49% investment TH Crestgate in Portugal.
Strategic Minerals (SML:AIM) gains 20.8% to 1.6p as it secures a new offtake agreement for its Cobre magnetite tailings dam project in New Mexico, which 'is likely to materially boost' its profitability.
Finland and Greenland based Bluejay Mining (JAY:AIM) gains 14.8% to 15.5p as a mineral resource estimate for its Pituffik titanium project in Greenland confirms 'it is the highest-grade mineral sand ilmenite project globally'.
Lithium exploration and development outfit Bacanora Minerals (BCN:AIM) is up 10.2% to 91.5p as it secures an offtake agreement and strategic partnership with a Japanese trader of battery chemicals.
