The FTSE 100 closed up 0.07% ahead of Wednesday's U.K. spring budget announcement and Thursday's European Central Bank policy decision as gold and cryptocurrency hit records highs. The day's biggest risers were Intertek--which reported a rise in pretax profit and strong revenue growth--up 6.15%, Endeavour Mining, up 4.2%, and Marks & Spencer, up 3.8%. COMPANIES NEWS:IWG Posts Slightly Wider Pretax Loss; Resumes Dividend PaymentIWG reported a slightly larger pretax loss for 2023 despite higher revenues and restarted paying out dividends. ---SIG Swings to Pretax Loss on Higher CostsSIG PLC reported a swing to pretax loss in 2023 driven by higher operating expenses and a challenging market backdrop. ---Time Out Group Loss Narrows on Strong Market Business PerformanceTime Out Group's first half-year pretax loss narrowed thanks to soaring earnings from its market business.

Source: Wall Street Journal March 05, 2024 18:04 UTC