It's a big day for Mark Carney as he sets out the Bank of England's latest thinking and forecasts as the Brexit debate swirls and global equity markets remain under pressure.
The web world and social media is awash with chatter on "Super Thursday" as it’s been dubbed. Also trending today are the results from broadcaster ITV PLC (LON:ITV), Talktalk Telecom Group PLC (LON:TALK).
Governor Carney will be watching words with care in what will no doubt be a measured speech at 12 noon and interest rates are expected to stay at bargain basement levels. He will not want to be seen to be butting in too much to the ongoing and heated Brexit debate, after he was criticised last time as he said Britain had benefited from its four-decade membership of the EU.
But hey, everyone so far has chipped in haven't they? Expect more comment on the subject all day.
UK PM David Cameron will also be wearing his diplomatic hat as he hosts a London summit of world leaders where the topic on the agenda is stamping out company corruption.
Under new plans, foreign firms that own property in the UK will have to declare assets publicly and be in a new register if they want to hold assets or bid for government contracts.
There is also an idea to create a new anti-corruption co-ordination centre in London and bring in an offence for executives who fail to prevent fraud or money laundering inside their companies. Such measures will be closely watched by traders and companies alike.
As FTSE100 trailed, a big faller was ITV, whose shares are down almost 2%, as it laid bare advertising market uncertainty caused by the EU referendum.
But it had a good start to 2016 and expected a good increase in profits in the period, driven by its ITV Studios and online pay and interactive businesses.
Big news was also a halving of profits and mobile coms giant TalkTalk (LON:TALK), which saw profits fall to £14mln from £32mln a year earlier.
It comes after a Cyber attack on systems last October resulted in 160,000 customers' credit card and bank card details being exposed.
Chief executive Dido Harding said she was working hard to regain trust, and had 'significantly' increased spending on security.
In small caps a notable riser was medical device maker Akers Biosciences Inc (LON:AKR, NASDAQ:AKER), which saw very strong growth in product revenue in the first quarter of 2016, sending shares in London 8% higher.
Product revenue rose 79% in the first quarter of last year, driven by strong demand for the flagship PIFA Heparin/PF4 Rapid Assay products.
Recycling specialist Zincox Resources (LON:ZOX) was also up 16% and the third biggest riser in London, as it said it was aiming for a fresh start in 2016 after a year that ended with ownership of its zinc recycling plant transferred to its Korean partner.
Rod Beddows, chairman said: "2015 was an extremely challenging and frustrating year for the company. However, having proven the technology at KRP, we are now moving forward to find and assess new projects where the technical intellectual property developed by the company can be used in the future."
Also in the news today was closely followed UK potash project developer and AIM listed Sirius Minerals PLC (LON:SXX), which revealed it had hired Louise Hardy – a specialist in major construction projects – as a new director of the company.
Hardy has extensive, more than 25 years, experience in civil engineering and currently holds a part time executive role at Skanska, as well as non-executive roles at government backed Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.
She was previously infrastructure director at CLM, which was part of the consortium that delivered the London 2012 Olympics. Sirius shares eased 1.37% to 18p on the day.
There was big volume in in Ferrum Crescent Limited (LON:FCR, ASX:FCR) shares and over 245mln bits ort paper changed hands. Shares added over 52% in London. At the tail end of last month, it told investors it was well placed for the next phase of growth after restructuring.
A farm in and joint venture agreement is now in place to progress the flagship Moonlight project and it secured the option to acquire GoldQuest, which owns two lead-zinc exploration projects in the provinces of Leόn and Galicia - two historic Spanish mining areas.