The big corporate news today is that Mondi reached an agreement in principle for an all-share offer to buy rival DS Smith for £5.14 billion. Its shares climbed 5.6% after the buyout offer, while Mondi's shares fell 3.2%.

In other news, British electricals retailer Currys announced the sale of its Greek unit, expected to complete in April. Informa, an events organizer, doubled its 2023 profit and raised its earnings forecast for 2024. The antitrust regulator CMA warned that T&L Sugars Limited's acquisition of Tereos UK & Ireland could lead to higher sugar prices. Royal London entered the market for corporate pension scheme insurance. Just Group reported a 47% rise in underlying operating profit. Pollen Street Capital agreed to buy wealth manager Mattioli Woods for £432 million.

Yesterday, the FTSE 100 ended the session up 0.2% as the ECB decided to keep its rates unchanged and lowered inflation forecasts. It hinted at a first rate cut in June.

Things to read today: