Friday preview: US inflation data, China factory PMI in the spotlight

Investors' attention at the end of the week will be on personal income and spending figures in the US, which will arrive alongside a final reading for consumer confidence also covering last month.

Worth noting, both reports will contain important inflation indicators.

The former is expected to show that incomes and spending continued at a solid pace, albeit slower.

So too nevertheless, the year-on-year rate of increase for the price deflator for personal consumption expenditures, excluding food and energy, is expected to have picked up from 4.6% for July to 4.8% in August.

The University of Michigan meanwhile is expected to confirm that its closely followed consumer sentiment index improved from 58.2 in August to 59.5.

Yet it is likely that what will draw the most attention are the subindices contained in the same report tracking inflation expectations one and five years out.

Against that backdrop, overnight, survey compiler Caixin will publish its manufacturing sector Purchasing Managers' Index for September (Barclays Research: 49.5).

And the Reserve Bank of India is expected to announce a 50 basis point hike in its repurchase rate taking it to 5.90%.

In Japan, investors will be digesting reports on unemployment and industrial production covering the month of August.

On home shores, at 0700 BST, the Office for National Statistics will publish a final reading for second quarter gross domestic product.

It is expected to confirm that UK GDP grew at a year-on-year pace of 2.9% over the three months ending in June.

Across the Channel, at 0855 BST, Germany's Federal Labor Agency will release unemployment data for September.

That will be followed by preliminary figures for euro area consumer prices in September (consensus: 9.7% year-on-year).