Friday preview: US consumer confidence, China CPI in focus

The market spotlight at the end of the week would continue to be on the US.

At 1500 GMT, the University of Michigan would publish the preliminary results of its consumer confidence survey for February.

Economists were anticipating an unchanged reading of 64.9.

The survey's gauges of short and long-term inflation expectations were likely to also draw significant attention.

But first, overnight China's National Bureau of Statistics was scheduled to release consumer and producer price figures for January.

The annual rate of increase in CPI was seen accelerating from 1.8% to 2.2% while factory gate deflation was seen ebbing from -0.7% to -0.5%.

Also due out was producer price data in Japan covering the same month (consensus: 9.7% year-on-year).

On home shores meanwhile, at 0700 GMT the Office for National Statistics was expected to announce that UK gross domestic product fell at a month-on-month pace of 0.2%, mainly due to the drag from services, due to "constrained" disposable incomes and strike action, Barclays Research said.

Quarter-on-quarter however the consensus was for GDP to have remained unchanged over the three months to December (Barclays: 0.1%), although the contraction in private consumption was expected to have slowed from -1.1% to -0.1%.

In the euro area, Italian industrial production figures for December were expected at 0900 GMT and for Portuguese consumer prices at 1100 GMT.

Friday 10 February

Q4

Lancashire Holdings Limited

AGMs

Red Rock Resources, Victrex plc

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Numis Corporation, Schroder Asia Pacific Fund, Baillie Gifford European Growth Trust, Hargreave Hale AIM VCT, Sage Group, Tracsis, Premier Miton Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

I3 Energy, Industrials Reit Limited, Abrdn New Dawn Investment Trust, Schroder Oriental Income Fund Ltd., Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Inv Trust

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Centaur Media, Hargreave Hale AIM VCT, Panther Securities

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Tufton Oceanic Assets Limited NPV

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Index of Services (07:00)

Industrial Production (07:00)

Gross Domestic Product (07:00)

GDP (Preliminary) (07:00)

Manufacturing Production (07:00)

Balance of Trade (07:00)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

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