Friday preview: US non-farm payrolls, Apple in focus

All eyes at the end of the week would be on the U.S. non-farm payrolls figures for October.

Consensus was that hiring slowed back down towards 170,000, after a 336,000 jump during the previous month.

Average hourly earnings meanwhile were seen rising at a month-on-month pace of 0.3% after a gain of 0.2% in September.

Also due out overnight and throughout Friday were services sector purchasing manager survey results in China, the United Kingdom and in the U.S..

Investors would also be keeping close tabs on speeches from at least three Monetary Policy Committee members, Andrew Hauser at 0900 GMT, chief economist Huw Pill at 1215 GMT, and Jonathan Haskel at 1600 GMT.

On the company side of things, investors would be digesting Apple's fourth quarter results which were due out overnight.

The technology giant had guided towards a modest fall in fourth quarter revenues to $89.29bn, although earnings per share were seen rising to $1.39.

Annual revenues meanwhile were pegged at $383bn and profits at $6.07 a share.

Friday 3 November

AGMs

CAP-XX Limited

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Alumasc Group, Arcontech Group, Begbies Traynor Group, Brooks Macdonald Group, Barratt Developments, Mattioli Woods

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Judges Scientific, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited, Christie Group, Mortgage Advice Bureau (Holdings), WPP, Games Workshop Group, HSS Hire Group, Johnson Service Group, JPMorgan Multi-Asset Growth & Income, Persimmon, M. P. Evans Group, TP Icap Group, Fintel, Weir Group, Schroder Income Growth Fund, AVI Japan Opportunity Trust, M&G, Andrews Sykes Group, British Smaller Companies VCT 2, Twentyfour Income Fund Limited Ord Red, Wickes Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Andrews Sykes Group

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

CT UK High Income Trust B, British American Tobacco, CT UK High Income Trust

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

PMI Composite (09:30)

PMI Services (09:30)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (GER) (07:00)

Unemployment Rate (EU) (10:00)

Non-Farm Payrolls (US) (12:30)

Unemployment Rate (US) (12:30)

PMI Composite (US) (13:45)

PMI Services (US) (13:45)

ISM Services (US) (14:00)

Factory Orders (US) (14:00)