By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Shares of Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC led the U.K.'s FTSE 100 index to a strong start to the week, after the consumer-product company said it plans to spin off a division.

The benchmark index gained 0.1% to 6,798.04, partly recovering from Friday's 0.4% decline.

Reckitt Benckiser put on 3.5% after the company said it will pursue a demerger of its pharmaceutical unit to focus more on its core consumer health and hygiene business. Additionally, Reckitt Benckiser reported a 7% fall in second-quarter sales.

Shares of EasyJet PLC climbed 0.9% after Citigroup upgraded the airliner to buy from neutral.

On a more downbeat note, shares Aberdeen Asset Management PLC slumped 5.1% after the company reported a decline in third-quarter assets under management.

Shares in GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK) slipped 0.2% after the British drug giant's chief executive said the company is open to spinning off its consumer health-care business, speaking in a Financial Times interview published Sunday.

Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LYG) was also in the spotlight after U.S. and U.K. authorities imposed roughly $370 million of fines on the bank for attempting to rig the London interbank offered rate, or Libor, and other widely used interest-rate benchmarks. Lloyds shares were broadly unchanged.

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