Friday preview: UK public sector borrowing, retail sales data due out

Investors' focus at the end of the week will shift back towards the UK, barring any unwelcome developments on the geopolitical front.

At 0700 BST, the Office for National Statistics will publish public sector net borrowing data for September.

In parallel, ONS will release retail sales figures for the same month.

And overnight, consultancy GfK will publish the results of its consumer confidence survey for October.

Finally, at midnight on Friday credit ratings agencies Moody's and S&P will publish their reviews of the UK's sovereign credit rating.

In the euro area, the day`s main release will be German producer price numbers for September at 0700 BST.

Out of Asia, overnight investors will be digesting monthly consumer price data.

No major economic reports are scheduled for release in the U.S..

Friday 20 October

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

InterContinental Hotels Group, Record

AGMs

DWF Group, GSTechnologies NPV (DI)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Frenkel Topping Group, Cropper (James), Kainos Group, Eckoh

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Grafton Group Ut (CDI), Oakley Capital Investments Ltd. (DI), Gore Street Energy Storage Fund, Melrose Industries, JPMorgan Global Markets Emerging Income Trust, Uniphar (CDI), Centaur Media, Central Asia Metals, FEVERTREE DRINKS, Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. (DI) (REG S, CAT3), Restore, Highcroft Investment, Luceco, Somero Enterprises Inc. (DI), Alpha Group International, Gulf Investment Fund, JTC

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Capricorn Energy, FBD Holdings (CDI)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

GFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)

Public Sector Net Borrowing (07:00)

Retail Sales (07:00)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)