Friday preview: UK GDP, Hammerson in the spotlight

Financial markets' focus at the end of the week will be on the release of a barrage of monthly activity indicators for the UK.

At 0700 GMT, the Office for National Statistics is expected to announce that the UK's gross domestic product shrank at a month-on-month pace of 4.7% in January, following tepid growth of 1.2% in December.

Output in services and construction are expected to be weakest, although the latter at least is expected to have rebounded in February.

Stateside meanwhile, investors will be waiting on a preliminary reading for consumer confidence in March, courtesy of the University of Michigan.

Across the Channel meanwhile, the main data release will be a report on euro area industrial output in January, alongside final readings for consumer price inflation in Germany and Spain in February.

For Hammerson's second half 2020 results, UBS analyst Charles Boissier had penciled-in an 81% drop in net tangible assets to 85.0p, driven by the impact of Covid-19 in UK retail landlords and the firm's dilutive rights issue.

The pandemic was accelerating the shift from traditional to online shopping in general, while forcing mall closures, tenants' bankruptcies and lower rent collections.

Earnings per share were seen falling 92% to 2.0p, amid the added drag from VIA Outlets disposal, negative like-for-likes, affected rent collections and higher property outgoings.

"We anticipate the Management's comments on the further deleveraging strategy, tenants' negotiations and footfall. We are negative on retail sector and have a Sell rating on Hammerson."

Friday 12 March

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Base Resources Ltd

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Honeywell International Inc., Tritax Eurobox (EUR), Tritax Eurobox (GBP)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Industrial Confidence (EU) (10:00)

Producer Price Index (US) (13:30)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Hunters Property

EGMS

PetroNeft Resources

AGMS

Autins Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (07:00)

Gross Domestic Product (07:00)

Index of Services (07:00)

Industrial Production (07:00)

Manufacturing Production (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Avon Rubber, JPMorgan Russian Securities, Sigma Capital Group, Titon Holdings