Friday preview: Second estimate of UK GDP in focus

The UK economy grew 2.3% in the third quarter compared to a year ago, the second estimate of gross domestic product is expected to show on Friday.

On a quarter-on-quarter comparison of GDP from the Office for National Statistics, analysts predict unrevised 0.5% growth between July and September.

It follows a 0.7% gain in the second quarter, with the slowdown driven by a decline in construction output.

Chancellor George Osborne on Wednesday in his Autumn Statement said the Office for Budget Responsibility predicted the UK economy will grow by 2.4% in 2015-16, 2.5% in 2016-17 before returning to 2.4% in 2017-18 and 2.3% in 2019-20.

“Particularly worrying for the Chancellor, the UK manufacturing sector has been struggling markedly through 2015,” said Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight.

“This puts pressure on the Chancellor to try and come up with some measures to help the sector and also to help UK exporters.”

Friday’s economic calendar also includes GfK’s consumer confidence survey for the UK and data on UK exports and imports.

Meanwhile, the US stock market will resume trading but will close early at 1800 GMT for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Friday 27 November

INTERIMS
Pennon Group, Real Estate Credit Investments PCC Ltd

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Booker Group, Card Factory, CareTech Holding, Cello Group, Charles Taylor, Edge Performance VCT 'F' Shares, Hilton Food Group, Impellam Group, JZ Capital Partners Ltd, Lookers, Maven Income & Growth VCT, Morgan Advanced Materials , Moss Bros Group, Panther Securities, Prime People, Provident Financial, Toyota Motor Corp., U And I Group

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Canadian General Investments Ltd.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Business Climate Indicator (EU) (10:00)
Economic Sentiment Indicator (EU) (10:00)

GMS
Solgold

FINALS
Future, Patisserie Holdings

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Card Factory, Prime People

AGMS
Berkeley Energy Limited (DI), Coal of Africa Ltd., Draganfly Investments Ltd., Filtronic, Forte Energy NL, Harvest Minerals Limited (DI), James Halstead, Origin Enterprises, Pan African Resources, Quadrise Fuels International, Range Resources Ltd. (DI), Wildhorse Energy Ltd. (DI)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Confidence (09:30)
GDP (output, income & expenditure) (09:30)
GFK Consumer Confidence (00:05)
Index of Services (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Aeorema Communications, Animalcare Group, Dunelm Group, El Oro Ltd, Kier Group