(Close): The pound continued to strengthen after a survey of the construction sector indicated strong growth last month.
(Open): The London market edged higher in early trade on a quiet day for top flight company news.
The pound was up 0.05% against the dollar at $1.7158, and rose 0.25% against the euro to 1.2569 euros.
Shortly after opening, the FTSE 100 index was up 6.80 points at 6,823.17.
Sterling hit a near six-year dollar high on Tuesday after an upbeat manufacturing survey raised the prospect of an early rate rise.
In the FTSE 250, shares in Poundland rose 3.4% after the retailer reported its first set of annual results since its flotation on the London market.
The FTSE 100 index closed 13.45 points or 0.2% higher at 6,816.37.
Pre-tax profits fell 19% to £21.5m but the fall was mainly due to costs from the flotation. Underlying profits rose 23.5% to £36.8m.
Outside the top share index, Mothercare jumped 8.4% after it emerged it had turned down two takeover approaches from a US firm.
On the currency markets, the pound was down 0.06% against the dollar at $1.7155, and slipped 0.07% against the euro to 1.2558 euros.
Destination Maternity said its latest approach for the UK mother and baby products retailer valued it at £266m.
Carillion shares rose 3.1% after the construction firm announced it had been named the preferred bidder for Liverpool Football Club's main stand expansion.
Housebuilder Persimmon fell 0.6% despite reporting "strong" trading during the first half of the year.
The company said total revenues had risen by a third to £1.2bn, and it completed 6,408 homes in the period - up 28% on a year earlier.
