The FTSE 100 slipped early on an albeit quiet day for company updates.
Endeavour Mining was among those reporting though, with mixed results and the publication of an investigation into ousted former boss Sébastien de Montessus sending shares lower.
WPP founder Martin Sorrell’s S4 Capital also fell after reporting a fall in revenue for last year, alongside a one-quarter dip in earnings.
In other news, British Gas owner Centrica faced scrutiny after it emerged its chief executive was given a £4.5 million pay rise to £8.2 million last year, as the firm benefitted from higher prices.
And finally, a report from the Institute for Public Policy Research has claimed that nearly 8 million UK jobs could be at risk from artificial intelligence in a worst-case scenario.