At 0711 GMT, the FTSE 100 index was 2 points lower at 5,835.81 points after closing 0.2 percent down in the previous session.

British American Tobacco rose 0.3 percent, while J Sainsbury was up 0.9 percent.

Standard Chartered fell 1.7 percent after Financial Times said Singapore investment fund Temasek had sounded out potential buyers for its 6 billion pound ($9.72 billion) stake in the bank.