India, Aug. 3 -- The FTSE 100 was almost steady on Monday as increases in certain industries were weighed down by falls in energy and pharmaceuticals shares. Sentiment was lifted after US President Donald Trump said he would hold new talks with Iran in order to defuse tensions in the Middle East. Talks could yield diplomatic success, causing Brent crude oil prices to fall, which dragged down the shares of energy firms Shell and BP as the stocks fell over 2%. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca fell by over 6% due to rumors that it had conducted early discussions regarding a potential merger with US-based drugmaker Bristol Myers Squibb. In positive territory, housebuilders Persimmon and Barratt Redrow climbed over 4% as investors expect less hiking in ...