The FTSE 100 opened lower as a quiet day of updates had the City readying itself for Wednesday’s spring budget.
The latest speculation is for Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to announce further tax cuts in the statement, including to national insurance, which was lowered last autumn.
Aviva was among the few companies making headlines meanwhile, with news breaking that the insurance firm had agreed to acquire Probitas for £242 million.
Safety equipment group Halma also had news of an acquisition, this time of cancer diagnosis device maker Rovers Medical Devices for €85 million.
And finally, shipping services firm Clarkson rose early on after reporting a record underlying pre-tax profit of £109.2 million for the year.