Friday preview: Global PMIs, Chinese activity data in the spotlight

Investors' attention at the end of the week will be on a raft of purchasing managers survey results due out in the U.K., euro area and U.S..

Consensus is that the former two regions will have recorded a slightly stronger rate of expansion with the opposite being true of the States.

Also due out on home shores, overnight consultancy GfK will publish the results of its consumer confidence survey for December.

In parallel, China's National Bureau of Statistics will release a barrage of activity indicators covering the month of November.

Also due out were U.S. industrial production data for November and the Empire State index for December.

Friday 15 December

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Airtel Africa , B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI), Cake Box Holdings, Calnex Solutions , DCC (CDI), Kainos Group , Portmeirion Group, ProVen Growth & Income VCT, ProVen VCT, Sainsbury (J), Scottish Mortgage Inv Trust, Tavistock Investments, Telecom Plus, Wincanton, Wynnstay Properties

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV, Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV (USD), Petrotal Corporation NPV (DI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (EU) (10:00)

Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)

Industrial Production (US) (14:15)

Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Canadian General Investments Ltd., Gattaca, Lancashire Holdings Limited

EGMS

Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust Ltd

AGMS

Abingdon Health , Aptamer Group, Bellway, Dci Advisors LTD, Etalon Group GDR (Reg S), Frontier IP Group, Renalytix (Reg S), Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust, Thor Explorations Ltd (DI), Ultimate Products , Wentworth Resources NPV

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

GFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Asia Dragon Trust , Craneware, Croma Security Solutions Group, Fidelity Emerging Markets Limited Ptg NPV, Gattaca, Hargreaves Lansdown, James Halstead, SCS Group