Friday preview: German GDP, StanChart in focus

Investors' attention at the end of the week will be on the euro area's largest economy.

At 0700 GMT, the German Federal Office of Statistics will release fourth quarter gross domestic product growth data.

It will be followed at 0900 GMT by the IFO institute's business confidence index for the month of February.

On home shores, overnight consultancy GfK will publish the results of its consumer confidence survey for February.

No major economic releases are scheduled in the U.S..

On the corporate side of things, it will be StanChart's turn to update investors.

UBS analyst Jason Napier has penciled-in roughly flat net interest income in quarter-on-quarter terms of $2.38bn.

Underlying profit before tax meanwhile was seen at $816m, which would be down by 38% on the quarter but 27% higher year-on-year.

The quarterly dividend was pegged at 17.4 US cents with a $750m share buyback programme expected to be announced alongside.

Napier said that the markets' focus would especially be on the outlook for 2024, particularly for net interest income given expectations in markets for lower US rates.

"At a 50% discount to tangible book value and an implied COE towards the higher end of our European bank coverage, we think the stock is not pricing the recovery potential of the tactical hedge, the Ventures business and improvement in Financial Markets capabilities."

"But, as a bank with substantial Fed Funds rate gearing the new targets will have to do the heavy lifting in the face of rate cuts to attract new investors, in our view."

Friday 23 February

INTERIMS

City of London Investment Group, City of London Investment Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Ferrexpo

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust , Primary Health Properties

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Gross Domestic Product (GER) (07:00)

FINALS

Afarak Group SE (DI), Allianz Technology Trust

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Capital Gearing Trust, Hollywood Bowl Group, Impellam Group

EGMS

Marble Point Loan Financing Limited NPV, ZCCM Investments Holdings 'B' Shares, Zhejiang Yongtai Technology Co. GDR (EACH Repr 5 A SHS) (REG S), Zhejiang Yongtai Technology Co. GDR (EACH Repr 5 A SHS) (REG S)

AGMS

Bluebird Merchant Ventures (DI), Chemring Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

GFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Gooch & Housego, Hollywood Bowl Group, RWS Holdings, Victrex plc