Friday preview: US inflation data, NatWest Group in the spotlight

Financial markets' attention at the end of the week would be squarely on the latest inflation data out of the States.

At 1230 BST, the U.S. Department of Commerce was expected to report that the rate of increase in the core price deflator for personal consumption expenditures slowed from 2.8% for February to 2.6% in March.

Also due out, at 1400 BST, was the University of Michigan's consumer confidence index for the end of April.

Investors would also be keeping tabs on the Bank of Japan's latest monetary policy decision, not to mention the risk of intervention in foreign currency markets heading into the weekend.

In the euro area meanwhile, at 0800 BST the European Central Bank was set to publish M3 money supply growth figures for March.

No major economic reports were scheduled in the U.K..

In the company space, lender NatWest was due to report on its fourth quarter performance.

UBS analyst Jason Napier had penciled-in a 14% year-on-year decline in net interest income to reach £2.49bn.

Adjusted profit before tax, excluding Litigation and Conduct charges, was seen down by 11% to £1.14bn.

The common equity Tier1 ratio for the quarter was seen at 13.5%.

Friday 26 April

INTERIMS

Jupiter Fund Management

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Blackfinch Spring VCT , JPMorgan Emerging Markets Inv Trust, Northamber

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Abrdn Private Equity Opportunities Trust, BlackRock Sustainable American Income Trust, Real Estate Investors, Value and Indexed Property Income Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

M3 Money Supply (EU) (09:00)

Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (13:30)

Personal Income (US) (13:30)

Personal Spending (US) (13:30)

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

FINALS

Facilities by ADF

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Downing Strategic Micro-Cap Investment Trust Red

AGMS

Aukett Swanke Group , Bellevue Healthcare Trust (Red), Bellevue Healthcare Trust (Red), Pearson, Senior, Smurfit Kappa Group (CDI)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Record

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

GFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Globaldata, Kitwave Group, Oakley Capital Investments Ltd. (DI)

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