UK equities are trading slightly higher on Tuesday ahead of the key talks between Angela Merkel and Mario Darghi due later in the day. Persistent worries over spreading debt crisis in the region coupled with increased cautiousness ahead of US consumer confidence data weighted down on the UK shares. The FTSE 100 Index inched up 0.17% and is currently trading at 5,848.84. Seven out of ten sectors within the index posted gains. The top-performers were consumer goods and utilities. British American Tobacco and Associated British Foods climbed 0.05% and 1.00% while Centrica and National Grid moved higher by 0.53% and 0.22%. At the same time, miners and lenders dragged the index lower. Antofagasta, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton plunged 0.63%, 1.06% and 0.44%, respectively. HSBC Holdings and Standard Chartered dropped 0.15% and 2.67%.