Friday preview: Fed speak, US debt ceiling in focus

Financial markets' focus at the end of the week would continue to be on the US central bank.

Another raft of top officials was scheduled to deliver remarks starting from 1345 BST with New York Fed boss, John Williams.

He would be followed by Fed Governor Michelle Bowman at 1400 BST.

At 1600 BST meanwhile, Fed chairman Jerome Powell would join his predecessor, Ben Bernanke, on a panel in Washington to discuss monetary policy.

In the background, the ongoing negotiations around the US government's debt ceiling were likely would not be far from investors' minds.

Worth noting, perhaps, some analysts had begun to speculate with the possibility of a deal being announced at the weekend.

On home shores, just past midnight consultancy GfK was to release the results of its consumer confidence survey for May.

And at 1045 BST, the Bank of England's Jonathan Haskel would deliver a speech on "new directions in the measurement of productivity".

Across the Channel, the market spotlight would be on factory gate prices in Germany for the month of April which were due out at 0700 BST.

Overseas, investors would be waiting on national core consumer price figures for April in Japan.

Friday 19 May

INTERIMS

Titon Holdings

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

AB Dynamics, Seneca Growth Capital Vct, Seneca Growth Capital Vct B

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income, Primary Health Properties

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Confidence (EU) (15:00)

Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

ANNUAL REPORT

Dillistone Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Me Group International

AGMS

Bank of Georgia Group, Permanent TSB Group Holdings (CDI), Sancus Lending Group Limited NPV

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

GFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Alpha Group International, Drax Group, Dunedin Enterprise Investment Trust, Genel Energy, Howden Joinery Group, JPMorgan US Smaller Co. Inv Tst, Jupiter Fund Management , Kenmare Resources (CDI), Luceco , Man Group, Rotork, Spirax-Sarco Engineering, Videndum

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Sampo OYJ