Friday preview: EU leaders' summit in focus

The market spotlight at the end of the week will be firmly on the start the three-day summit between European Union leaders.

Hopes for a breakthrough on agreeing on the details of a proposed €750bn EU Reconstruction Fund are low going into the meeting, given the wide range of interest of the various governments, including the bloc's main economies, the so-called 'frugal' northern countries and many in Eastern Europe.

Nonetheless, the depth and severity of the crisis brought on by the novel coronavirus and the need to move quickly was not lost on anyone.

The above aside, Friday's economic calendar was otherwise sparse, with the main release due out being that for US housing starts in June.

Across the Channel, a final report for euro area consumer prices in June is scheduled to be published at 1000 BST.

No major economic releases are scheduled in the UK.

Friday 17 July

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Impax Asset Management Group, RWS Holdings

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Alpha Real Trust Ltd., Regional REIT Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Building Permits (US) (13:30)

Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)

Housing Starts (US) (13:30)

U. of Michigan Confidence (Prelim) (US) (15:00)

FINALS

Caffyns

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Capital Gearing Trust

AGMS

DCC, Homeserve

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

GFK Consumer Confidence (00:10)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Anglo-Eastern Plantations, Capital Gearing Trust, Severn Trent, Tclarke , Templeton Emerging Markets Inv Trust