The FTSE 100 moved upwards early on, as an albeit quiet day for the City got underway.
The big news though was that energy prices will fall to a two-year low in April, thanks to a recent drop in wholesale costs, according to Ofgem. This offers a positive prospect after consumer confidence was revealed by GfK on Friday to have taken a hit between January and February.
Among companies, Standard Chartered was among the few big names reporting, with shares in the bank skyrocketing on news of inflated buybacks on a jump in profits.
Elsewhere, things looked more stark for Vice Media, which is reportedly poised to lay off hundreds of jobs amid financial struggles.
And finally, Ticketmaster owner Live Nation Entertainment said demand for live events remained robust over the holiday period in its final-quarter report.
