Friday preview: UK Q4 GDP, Lancashire Holdings in the spotlight

Investors' attention at the end of the week will be on preliminary UK gross domestic product figures for the last three months of 2021.

Consensus is for the quarter-on-quarter rate of GDP growth to have held steady at 1.1%, thanks to further strong growth for private consumption and gross fixed capital formation.

Stateside, the University of Michigan will publish the preliminary results of its closely-followed survey for consumer confidence in February.

Across the Channel meanwhile, the market spotlight will be on a final reading for German consumer prices in January.

For Lancashire Holdings' full-year financials, UBS analyst Will Hardcastle has estimated a loss of -$27m on the back of a combined ratio of 105.1%.

The global specialty insurance and reinsurance outfit was seen declaring a final dividend payout for the year of US 10 cents per share and no special distribution.

According to Hardcastle, the share price was already discounting a lacklustre set of headline results following another "tough year for catastrophes".

"The FY update offers Lancashire an opportunity to reiterate that its capital levels are more than sufficiently robust to take advantage of the hardening market opportunities presenting themselves.

"We suspect there is potential for cons. to raise their investment return assumptions in light of the recent pick up in short end rates, although note we remain below [consensus] on underwriting. That being said, the January renewal update could lead us to raise our premium expectations significantly."

Friday 11 February

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Aberdeen New Dawn Investment Trust, Creightons, Industrials Reit Limited, Morses Club

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income, Tufton Oceanic Assets Limited NPV

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

U. of Michigan Confidence (Prelim) (US) (15:00)

FINALS

British American Tobacco

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

M. P. Evans Group

EGMS

Lenta International Public Joint-Stock Company GDR (144A)

AGMS

Mineral & Financial Investments Limited (DI), PCGH ZDP , Victrex plc

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Tate & Lyle

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

GDP (Preliminary) (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Baillie Gifford European Growth Trust , Blackrock Frontiers Investment Trust, Numis Corporation, Premier Miton Group, Scottish Inv Trust, Shaftesbury

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Coventry 12 1/8% Perm Int Bearing Shs #1000