Wednesday preview: FOMC minutes, CPI figures in focus
Global trade relations (and events in Syria) permitting, the focus on Wednesday will be on the release of the minutes of the US central bank's last policy meeting.
Following two-days of deliberations, on 20-21 March, rate-setters at the Federal Reserve guided towards two more quarter-of-a-percentage-point interest rate hikes over the course of 2018, but appeared to leave the door ajar for as many as three hikes and modestly raised its medium-term forecasts for rate hikes.
More recently however, some economists have ventured the possibility that policy rates should not be raised that much nor at such a pace, at least not beyond 2018.
Hence, the details of policymakers deliberations will likely garner substantial interest.
The meeting minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee will be preceded by US consumer price data for March, which are expected to show a pick-up in CPI from a 2.1% pace in February to a 2.3% clip last month.
CPI data are also due to be published overnight in China.
Against that backdrop, a slew of economic reports are scheduled for release in the UK, including readings for construction output, industrial production and foreign trade in March.
The flow of data out of the euro area on the other hand is expected to be quite light, although a speech from European Central Bank chair Mario Draghi at 1300 BST might warrant monitoring, although the venue, at a student award ceremony in Frankfurt, is perhaps less than ideal as a forum for any substantive messages on monetary policy.
Monday April 16
INTERIMS
Avacta Group, Carr's Group
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
National Westminster 9%pf
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Business Inventories (US) (15:00)
Retail Sales (US) (13:30)
ANNUAL REPORT
Legal & General Group
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Ferrexpo
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Sagicor Financial Corporation Limited (DI)
Tuesday April 17
INTERIMS
APC Technology Group, Associated British Foods, Egdon Resources, Egdon Resources
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Building Permits (US) (13:30)
Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)
Housing Starts (US) (13:30)
Industrial Production (US) (14:15)
ZEW Survey (EU) (10:00)
ZEW Survey (GER) (10:00)
FINALS
AFI Development, Christie Group, Clearstar Inc. (DI), Filta Group Holdings, Flowtech Fluidpower, JD Sports Fashion, Mi-Pay Group, TP Group
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Dragon-Ukrainian Properties & Development
EGMS
Societatea Nationala De Gaze Naturale Romgaz S.A. GDR (Reg S)
AGMS
Cloudbuy, Dialight, MD Medical Group Investments GDR (Reg S)
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Claimant Count Rate (09:30)
Wednesday April 18
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
JPMorgan Mid Cap Inv Trust
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Assura , SQN Asset Finance Income Fund Limited
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)
GMS
Harwood Wealth Management Group
FINALS
Be Heard Group, GYG
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
VinaLand Ltd
SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Stadium Group
AGMS
88 Energy Limited (DI), Bunzl, Green Energy Technology Inc. GDR (Reg S), Harwood Wealth Management Group, Hunting, JPMorgan Claverhouse Inv Trust, Petards Group, Primary Health Properties, RTC Group, TOC Property Backed Lending Trust
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Countryside Properties, Relx plc, SEGRO, Telford Homes
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Price Index (09:30)
Producer Price Index (09:30)
Retail Price Index (09:30)
Thursday April 19
INTERIMS
Gattaca
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Barratt Developments, Northamber, SCS Group
QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Merchants Trust
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)
Q3
Sky
GMS
Arabian Food Industries Company Domty S.A.E. GDR (Reg S), Candover Investments
FINALS
Camellia, Hvivo, Xeros Technology Group
ANNUAL REPORT
North Midland Construction
SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Bodycote, John Laing Group
AGMS
Domino's Pizza Group, Essentra, Essentra, Herald Investment Trust, IDOX, MPAC Group, Relx plc, RM Secured Direct Lending, Sampo OYJ, Science Group , SEGRO, Stratex International
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Rentokil Initial
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Current Account (EU) (09:00)
Retail Sales (09:30)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Law Debenture Corp., Low & Bonar
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
AFH Financial Group , Aggreko, BAE Systems, Balfour Beatty, Bank of Ireland Group , BBGI SICAV S.A. (DI), Belvoir Lettings, Bodycote, Capital & Counties Properties , Capital & Regional, Communisis, Drax Group, Fevertree Drinks, Global Ports Holding, Greggs, Informa, Inmarsat, Intu Properties, John Laing Group , Kerry Group 'A' Shares, Lloyds Banking Group, M. P. Evans Group, Marble Point Loan Financing Limited NPV, McColl's Retail Group , Octopus AIM VCT 2, Pendragon, Polypipe Group , Property Franchise Group, Rathbone Brothers, RPS Group, Science Group , Standard Life Aberdeen, Taptica International (DI), Tyman, UBM, Vitec Group, Wood Group (John), Zotefoams
Friday April 20
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Bioventix, Craneware, Go-Ahead Group, Origin Enterprises
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
XP Power Ltd. (DI)
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)
IMSS
Reckitt Benckiser Group
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Somero Enterprises Inc. (DI)
AGMS
Bank of Ireland (Governor & Company Of The) Non-Cum Prf 'A' Liquidation, Bank of Ireland Group , Byblos Bank SAL GDR (Reg S), HSBC Holdings, PAO Novatek GDR (Reg S)
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Record
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Chemring Group, Heavitree Brewery, Heavitree Brewery 'A' Shares, IDOX, Somero Enterprises Inc. (DI), XLMedia