Friday preview: UK retail sales, Burberry in focus
The market spotlight going into the bank holiday will remain on the UK, with a reading on retail sales for April is due out.
Burberry Group
1,157.50p
16:34 22/04/24
FTSE 100
8,023.87
17:09 22/04/24
FTSE 350
4,408.19
17:14 22/04/24
FTSE All-Share
4,362.60
16:44 22/04/24
Personal Goods
16,096.83
17:14 22/04/24
Barclays Research expects the figures will reveal a 20.5% downdraft in sales volumes month-on-month but in a research note sent to clients that their own proprietary survey had pointed to a possible recovery towards the end of the reference month.
No major economic releases are scheduled in the US or euro area.
Further afield, consumer price data ex-perishables also for the month of April are scheduled for release in Japan.
The spotlight in the corporate arena will be on fashion giant Burberry full-year numbers.
UBS analyst Zuzanna Pusz is forecasting a 4% decline in full-year 2020 sales to £2.61bn at constant currencies, for a 19% drop in earnings before interest and taxes and margins at 13.5%.
For the fourth quarter alone however, retail revenues are seen crashing by 30% as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The analyst said that: "Investors will look for indications on current performance in China and the pace of the recovery, and any early signs post the lifting of lockdown measure in some European countries."
Friday 22 May
INTERIMS
Future
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Primary Health Properties, Supermarket Income Reit
GMS
Craven House Capital
FINALS
Burberry Group, United Utilities Group
AGMS
Bango, Barr (A.G.), Breedon Group , Centrica, CIP Merchant Capital Limited NPV, Headlam Group, JSC Halyk Bank GDR (Reg S), Low & Bonar, One Media IP Group, PJSC PhosAgro GDR (Regs), SDX Energy Inc. (DI), Spectris
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Close Brothers Group
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
888 Holdings, Antofagasta, Gresham House, Kaz Minerals , Maven Income & Growth 4 VCT, Octopus AIM VCT 2, Schroder Asian Total Return Investment Company , Spirax-Sarco Engineering