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The FTSE 100 bucked positive trading in Asia overnight and a robust start in mainland Europe to trade 0.2% lower at 7,170.45.
Packaging company DS Smith gained 2% to 458.5p as it said it had seen strong growth in box volumes and had made progress offsetting higher input costs with price rises.
Housing construction group Vistry gained 5.8% to £12.95 as it swung to a first-half profit and upgraded its annual guidance after home completions rebounded due to an easing of lockdowns.
Food packaging company Hilton Food was up 0.9% to £11.74 as it said it had acquired the remaining 50% of joint venture partner Dalco Food, for an undisclosed sum.
Declo Food, based in Oss, the Netherlands, was a vegan and vegetarian product manufacturer of which Hilton Food bought a 50% stake in 2019..
Gambling company 888 fell 1.5% to 400.4p as it said its Sports Illustrated wagering experience, SI Sportsbook, had launched in Colorado.
SI Sportsbook combined 888's technology with Sports Illustrated's brand to offer an in-play betting market.
Fashion retailer Ted Baker gained 1.5% to 169.2p as it said its second-quarter sales had risen 50% and that its turnaround plan was on track.
Marine engineering contractor James Fisher and Sons fell 7.5% to 943.3p as it scrapped its interim dividend and downgraded its annual guidance after its first-half underlying earnings fell by more than a third.
Specialist brick manufacturer Michelmersh Brick was up 1.9% to 150.2p as it posted a rise in first-half profit as the construction industry bounced back following an easing of lockdowns.
The company also reinstated its dividend and forecast a modest earnings beat for the full year.
Cleaning products group McBride reported a 2.8% fall in annual profit as the pandemic had a mixed impact on demand and pushed up costs. It was down 3.8% to 75.4p.
Flooring group Victoria said its year-to-date revenue was up about 70% as consumers continued to invest in their homes and commercial demand for flooring returns. It ticked up 1.8% to £10.69.